Thousands of people paid their last respects to slain crime reporter Peter R de Vries yesterday, some standing in line for hours under a hot sun to get a brief glimpse of his coffin at an Amsterdam theatre.

Mr De Vries died last Thursday aged 64 after being shot on an Amsterdam street on July 6 following  an appearance on a Dutch TV show, sending shockwaves around the world.

Mr De Vries was the Netherlands’ most famous crime journalist, reporting on and writing a bestselling book about the 1983 kidnapping of beer magnate Freddy Heineken and campaigning to resolve cold cases and clear the names of wrongfully convicted people.

Two suspects were arrested shortly after his shooting and remain in custody.

The suspected gunman is a 21-year-old Dutchman, and a 35-year-old Polish man living in the Netherlands is accused of driving the getaway car.

De Vries recently had been an adviser and confidant for a witness in the trial of the alleged leader and other members of a crime gang that police described as an “oiled killing machine”.

A private funeral is planned for today.