Family and friends have said their last goodbyes to a popular West Lothian policeman and bagpiper.

David Brown, who lived in Murieston and retired from the Lothian and Borders police force in 2008, has been hailed as a generous and brave man after passing away from stomach cancer at the age of 64.

He frequently piped for Armadale Primary and local nursing homes free of charge.

David was born on March 15, 1955, in Harare, Zimbabwe (then Salisbury, Rhodesia), and grew up in Bulawayo, where he learned to play the bagpipes.

After finishing school in 1973, he was conscripted to the regular police and chosen for the mounted division, and did escorts for the President of Rhodesia.

After being stationed in north- east Rhodesia for three years – a dangerous assignment with a lot of terrorist activity where many of his friends were killed – he moved to CID in Salisbury, where he worked on the homicide division.

David moved to Scotland in 1978 and joined the Lothian and Borders Police and their pipe band.

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He said the proudest moment of his life came a year later when he met his wife, Wilma, describing their meeting as ‘love at first sight’.

Wilma said: “I met David in the canteen when having coffee in the King James Hotel in Edinburgh, where I worked as a receptionist.

“I was combing my hair and David told me I had dandruff on my black velvet waistcoat.

“After a conversation, he then asked me if I wanted tickets to go and see him pipe up at the castle.”

Wilma went to watch, staying afterwards and going out for a drink with him.

She said: “David had his number one pipe band outfit on and I was considering on running as everybody was looking at us.

“However, I stayed and we were engaged six weeks later.

“I phoned my mother to tell her the news and she asked me what his surname was – I suddenly realised I hadn’t asked him.”

Wilma described David as a doting father and a wonderful husband with a ‘generous, caring heart’.

She said: “He piped each year at the Armadale Primary School Burns suppers which he loved, and also at nursing homes and old people’s homes which he did free of charge, or for a modest fee – or a bottle of whisky.

“In fact, if you ask any of the pipers, David charged the minimum for all his piping jobs, and on occasions when nobody paid him on the day, he just came home and never chased the payment.”

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David’s policing career in Scotland saw him move from Edinburgh in the 80s to work across West Lothian from 1990 to 2008, with stints at West Calder, Armadale and Livingston.

Friends of David know of at least two occasions when he was commended by the police for bravery.

On October 9, 1980, he was honoured for displaying ‘zeal and courage’ which led to the arrest of two men for theft.

The station duty sheet did not mention that David informed the two men – who were attempting to steal lead from a roof – that they were surrounded by the dog section.

He then proceeded to bark to keep them at bay while back-up arrived.

On February 29, 1996, he received a meritorious award for rescuing an unconscious man from his vehicle which had overturned in a flood.

David and Wilma had three sons, Andrew, Matthew, and Michael.

Speaking of his old mentor, close friend and fellow officer Neil Crozier said: “He was the kindest soul you’d ever meet. He had his own take on the world – a real glass half full kind of guy.

“There’s so many funny stories about him, but he was so much more than that.”

Family and friends said farewell at a well-attended funeral at Livingston Crematorium.