Hundreds say goodbye to popular schoolboy Lewis Albon at emotional funeral service

Friends, family and members of the community packed into St Thomas and St John Church, in Radcliffe, this morning for the funeral of Lewis Albon.

The 13-year-old had been out for a drive with his father Stephen Platt on March 7 when he was mysteriously taken ill and collapsed.

Mr Platt said that his son became a dead weight and despite attempts to revive him by giving him mouth to mouth, Lewis died in his arms.

Mr Platt, who lives in Cobden Street, Radcliffe, said the death was a complete mystery, and spoke of the heart-breaking moment he had to let his son go after hospital staff had tried and failed to resuscitate him.

The family has been in touch with a number of doctors but as yet there is no explanation for his death.

Lewis on an Old Trafford tour

The teenager attended Manchester United matches with his dad and was also a season ticket holder at Bury FC.

Tributes were paid to him at the Shakers’ match with Peterborough United on March 13. The club conducted a bucket collection to help with funeral costs and other expenses and there was also a minute-long applause.

The family had asked people to wear football shirts to today's service and hundreds of people gathered at the church, in New Church Street, to pay their respects and show their support.

Lewis’s coffin arrived at the church in a horse-drawn hearse before being carrying into church by family members wearing football tracksuits with Lewis's name and the number 13 on the back.

The Reverend Elizabeth Binns then read a message from Lewis’s family thanking people for the messages of support they had received over the last few weeks.

Moving tributes about Lewis, who attended St Gabriel’s RC High School, in Bury, were then read out on behalf of his father, brother Jayden, and mother Yvette.

Lewis with his dad Stephen Platt

The tribute from Mr Platt read: “Lewis, I can’t put into words how devastated I am. You were my whole world.

“You may have only been 13, but you were turning into such a happy young man.

“I will miss seeing you play football every day and going out to all those different football grounds. It was proper father and son stuff.

“You were not just my son, you were my shadow. I will miss you every single day. Life will never be the same again.

“Lewis, I love you with all my heart. We will be together again some day. Keep practising your football. I will always be proud to be your father and call you my son.”

People were then asked to reflect and think of Lewis and the memories they had shared with him as He’s My Son by Mark Schultz played.

His coffin was carried out of the church to claps from mourners and a guard of honour from pupils and teachers at St Gabriel’s.

Following the service there was a ceremony for family and friends at East Lancashire Crematorium before everyone gathered at the Radcliffe Borough FC for the wake.