Alan Coren memorial service row

Nearly a year after his premature death from cancer, a row is brewing up over the memorial service for Alan Coren (pictured), humourist, quiz show panellist and one time editor of Punch magazine. Needless to say, many of Coren's friends and admirers had been hoping for an opportunity to pay their respects at a public service, which is to be held at St Bride's Church off Fleet Street on September 8.

However his family appear to be putting the kibosh on a public service by making it selective, issuing tickets only to those they approve of. This has annoyed St Bride's who say they have no right to do this because it's a church service to which all should be welcome. Even worse, the family, who include son and daughter Giles and Victoria, have told some fellow writers they can attend - provided they don't write about the event in certain publications.

"This is a public service and anyone can come," Canon David Meara, vicar of St Bride’s, told the London Evening Standard. "We also welcome reporters who want to write about the service. We are the journalists’ church after all. We have seating for about 400 but there is plenty of standing room in the aisles and at the back of the church."

James Irving, the church’s administrator, is more trenchant. "This is absolute nonsense. We are honoured to pay tribute to a great Fleet Street personality. We want to see the man off in style and the more friends and colleagues who turn up the better, especially if they write about it in newspapers and magazines."