BURGLAR Henry Vincent's family stuck their fingers up and shouted "the king is dead" at the career criminal's lavish funeral today.

A convoy of black Mercedes limousines, decorated in garish floral displays, carried thief Vincent's relatives through the streets.

The procession began at Vincent's mum's house in Swanley, Kent, and snaked its way to St Mary's Church four miles away in St Mary Cray, South East London.

Floral displays of a purple BMW, caravan, a red van and a boxing ring were among those sitting on top of the cars ferrying mourners to the funeral.

His dad Henry Vincent Snr, 59, held a picture of Vincent, 37, aloft and shouted: "The king is dead".

We revealed last month the villain's send off was expected to cost £100,000 as travellers planned to lay on the "funerals of all funerals".

Tensions boiled over at certain points on the route as mourners hurled eggs and abuse at photographers and reporters, with one photographer punched in the face.

One man was arrested by cops and others were caught on camera throwing objects and holding a catapult.

One passer-by who was hit with an egg  said: “I’m lucky I’m on the way back from a job interview and not to it.”

A witness, who did not want to be named for fear of reprisals, said: “They were behaving like animals.

“A few of them seemed drunk and up for a ruck.

“It wasn’t just journalists, they were having a go at normal people who happened to be passing by too.

“It’s not exactly a respectful way to see off their loved one, is it?”

Screwdriver-wielding Vincent, 37, died after being stabbed as he broke into OAP Richard Osborn-Brooks' home in Hither Green, South East London, on April 3.

Led by two funeral directors with top hats, a silver Mercedes hearse carried Vincent's coffin with "daddy" spelt out in red flowers.

A huge line of cars then followed behind the limos as the cortege headed from Vincent's mum Rosemary's house in Swanley on to the A20.

Tempers flared as mourners began to arrive at St Mary's Church in St Mary Cray, near Orpington.

Cops were forced to intervene after a gang of youths began hurling eggs and rocks at photographers, TV camera crews and passers-by.

An LBC reporter was reportedly assaulted by mourners.

Mike Hughes told the radio station: "Chaos has descended here.

"In my 10 years as a journalist, I have never felt so under threat.

"I've had bottles thrown in my face. I am covered in egg, which was pelted at me."

Up to 2,000 family and friends of the notorious Vincent family congregated for the funeral for the stabbed burglar.

Around 100 mourners packed into the church to sing a selection of his favourite songs during the 30-minute service.

They included Celine Dion’s classic "I’m your angel", R Kelly’s "if I could turn back the hands of time" and "dreams" by The Corrs.

Vincent's body laid in an open casket for three days so family and friends could pay their respects, a mourner revealed.

The criminal was kept in a green and blue DIY gazebo outside his mum's home since Tuesday.

A close family friend said: "His mum is devastated, she has not left the house at all for days."

After the service friends and family returned to Vincent's mum's house for the wake.

The family erected a ramshackle marquee – which appeared to be an amended version of the gazebo used for mourners to pay their respects to his corpse.

Cops kept a close watch, with a riot van patrolling the estate.

Earlier, a resident parked his car across a junction to stop the procession from passing the home of hero Richard, 78, who killed him.

Dave, 57, who refused to give a second name, described himself as "a concerned resident".

Last month he was filmed ripping down tributes left by Vincent's family outside Richard's home in Hither Green.

Speaking today, he told The Sun: "We have planned to have people here all day.

"We don't know if it is going to happen, but until then, we don't know who is going to turn up.

"We can't allow them to come around here."

Scotland Yard yesterday said the cortege will not pass Richard's home.

But a spokesman today confirmed it will step up patrols in the area for "community reassurance".

Resident Iain Gordon last month urged people to join him on a “manhunt game” where they will help him “take out the trash”.

Locals fear Vincent’s friends could clash with the community when the procession takes place.

A Met Police spokesman said: "We have been informed of plans for the funeral of Mr Vincent and we are of the understanding that the funeral, and the procession, is not due to take place in Lewisham."

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Richard and his wife Maureen, 76, have been forced to move out of their three-bedroom terraced home following the incident.

A turf-war broke out between mourners and furious residents after Vincent's family laid tributes to the career criminal outside Richard's home.

Meanwhile Vincent's fraudster dad is reportedly living on a £1.7million farm.

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