George Floyd’s funeral under way in Houston

The funeral is under way in Houston, Texas, for African American George Floyd whose shocking death in police custody caused global outrage.

His coffin will be taken from a church where it was on public display on Monday, to be buried beside his mother.

Mr Floyd died in Minneapolis last month as a white police officer held a knee on his neck for nearly nine minutes, his final moments filmed on phones.

Four police officers involved have been sacked and charged over his death.

“When there is justice for George Floyd, we will truly be on our way to racial justice in America,” Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden said in a video message broadcast at the service.

He had visited the Floyd family to offer his sympathies on Monday.

Mr Biden has sharply criticised President Donald Trump, who is standing for re-election as the Republican candidate on 3 November, accusing him at the weekend of making “despicable” speculative remarks about Mr Floyd.

The Democratic politician was himself recently accused of taking black American votes for granted when he said African Americans “ain’t black” if they even considered voting for Mr Trump.

What is happening at the funeral?

A service is being held at the Fountain of Praise church, attended by some 500 guests including politicians and celebrities.

Minnesota Governor Tim Walz called on people to honour the funeral by observing silence for eight minutes and 46 seconds, the time Mr Floyd was pinned to the ground before he died.

The coffin will then be taken to a cemetery in Pearland, south of Houston. For the last mile of the procession it will be conveyed in a horse-drawn carriage.

Barriers have been erected along the route to allow members of the public to pay their respects safely as the procession passes.

Mr Floyd will be buried in a private ceremony.

His body was on display at the church for six hours on Monday.

Memorial services were also held in Minneapolis and North Carolina, where Mr Floyd was born.

What did Biden say about Floyd’s family?

“They’re an incredible family, his little daughter was there, the one who said ‘daddy’s going to change the world’, and I think her daddy is going to change the world,” Mr Biden told CBS anchor Norah O’Donnell.

“I think what happened here is one of the great inflection points in American history, for real, in terms of civil liberties, civil rights and just treating people with dignity.”

Floyd family spokesman Benjamin Crump, who tweeted a photo of the meeting said Mr Floyd’s relatives welcomed Mr Biden’s comments.

“That compassion meant the world to this grieving family,” he added.

Aides to the former vice-president said he would also record a video message for Tuesday’s service.