Over 20,000 people are estimated to have taken to the streets of Lanark yesterday to attend the memorial service for 1995 World Rally Champion Colin McRae.

McRae died along with his son Johnny and two family friends when his helicopter crashed close to his home on the Jerviswood Estate on Saturday 15 September with Sunday's memorial service giving McRae's fans the chance to come together to pay tribute to the first Briton to lift the WRC title.

The crowd that gathered to listen to the service, which was relayed from inside St Nicholas' Church, spilled off the High Street – which had a capacity of 20,000 people – while 750 family members, friends and guests filled the church – meaning the actual numbers attending were probably in excess of 21,000.

Amongst those present at the service was McRae's former team bosses David Richards, Malcolm Wilson and Guy Frequelin and his former co-drivers Derek Ringer and Nicky Grist. Current racing aces Marcus Gronholm, Dario Franchitti, Alan McNish, Paul di Resta, Jason Plato and Kris Meeke were also in attendance as were the likes of John Cleland, Luis Moya and BRDC president Damon Hill.

"It's been a very difficult time, not just for us, but for both the other families as well," McRae's brother Alister said on behalf of the family. "To have received as much support as we have through the website [which currently has more than 56,800 messages of condolence posted], cards and flowers, is overwhelming and pretty amazing.

"Colin will be remembered for what he was; an extremely gifted driver, a great person and a good friend to a lot of people."