I attended the funeral of Lancashire teenager Jay Slater and the tragedy of his loss was starkly evident

As a local journalist in Lancashire, I had obviously been following 19-year-old Jay Slater’s disappearance from day one.

Finding myself two months later standing outside Accrington Crematorium, awaiting the start of the Oswaldtwistle teenager’s funeral, was intensely sobering. 

I arrived half an hour before Jay’s family and the full funeral cortege were due to arrive and already around 40 mourners- dressed in a sea of blue as per his family's request- were waiting outside.

As I stood in the rain, this number grew and grew until they filled up the entire road in front of the crematorium - testament to how many lives Jay had touched.

At one point a whole host of his colleagues - Jay was an apprentice bricklayer - walked past me wearing blue T-shirts that depicted the company logo ‘PH Build Group’ and the words “In memory of Jay Slater.”

Before the funeral cortege arrived we already knew it was just minutes away as the air filled with the sound of car horns from motorists on the street above paying respects as the procession passed by. 

At around 10:20, the funeral cortège appeared from around the corner - a jet black carriage drawn by two horses carried Jay’s coffin, whilst loved ones sat in two vehicles that followed.

Once Jay’s family had gotten out of the vehicles, loud speakers outside the crematorium began to play a slow rendition of ‘Forever Young’ - a heartbreaking song choice reinforcing the fact that Jay was taken from the world too soon.

Even from where the media stood, 10 metres back, we could hear sobs from the mourning crowd as the procession came to a stop - and as a spectator I found it hard not to follow suit.

Once the song had finished, the pallbearers lined up behind the black carriage ready to carry Jay’s bright blue coffin into the crematorium as all the other attendees watched on in silence.

As family and friends followed the coffin inside, the speakers announced that not all of the mourners would be able to enter the crematorium as too many had arrived to fit in.

Instead a projection screen was set up outside the crematorium’s entrance ready to stream the funeral to the mourners outside in the rain.

Again this was testament to how Jay’s life and his death had affected so many people.

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From inside the crematorium, friends and family began to share stories of Jay, all of which depicted him as an outgoing, fun and friendly individual- another reminder of the heavy loss they had all suffered.

I walked away from the funeral part way through the proceedings, intending to leave Jay’s loved ones to mourn in peace.

Whilst this will likely be the last story we publish on Jay Slater, he and his family will remain in our thoughts.