BRITAIN:Hundreds of mourners burst into applause as the father and brother of murdered schoolboy Rhys Jones helped carry his coffin into Liverpool's Anglican cathedral for his funeral service yesterday.
In a tribute to the 11-year-old and his favourite football team, Stephen Jones and Owen (17) wore royal blue Everton shirts, while the coffin bore the club's crest and blue and white flowers.
At his parents' request, many of the mourners wore bright clothes or football tops, both Liverpool and Everton, to celebrate their son's life.
Bishop James Jones of Liverpool described Rhys's family as a "beacon of light" amid the sadness of the last two weeks.
"Your love for Rhys, your dignity and your family life have shone out and restored hope and honour to our community, shamed by such a crime," he said.
The service began with the organist playing the theme from the 1960s police drama Z-Cars, the music played when the Everton team runs on to the pitch before each home game.
Rhys was buried later at a private ceremony in the city.
He died after being shot in a pub car park in the Croxteth area of the city last month.