HUNDREDS of family and friends of tragic teenager Kelsey Jade Winter paid their respects at her funeral yesterday.

More than 200 people packed into St Mary's Parish Church, in Barnard Castle, County Durham, to say farewell to the 13-year-old, who was found hanging in a bedroom last weekend.

Her death was the fourth tragedy to hit her family in less than a decade after the sudden death of two of her uncles and her cousin.

Traffic stopped in the main street of her home town of Barnard Castle as the hearse passed through. It was followed by six of Kelsey's closest friends, dressed in black and pink and carrying flowers.

Eric Clapton's Tears in Heaven was played at the start of the service and one of Kelsey's favourite songs, My Love, by Justin Timberlake, was played as the coffin was carried out of the church.

The keen gymnast was found hanged on Sunday, August 12, while her mother, Carolann Winter, 29, and stepfather, Mark, 30 prepared lunch.

The Reverend Alec Harding, who led the service, encouraged the congregation to pray for the Teesdale School student, and to help each other as a community to recover from the loss.

He also paid tribute to the police, the ambulance service and staff at Darlington Memorial Hospital.

"The community here in Barnard Castle can support Kelsey's parents and her wider family.

"Many people have spoken of Kelsey in this past week though, and this being a small town, many of you will have known her through school, or perhaps through her work with the YMCA, or on a Friday night at gymnastics.

"A new school term will soon start without Kelsey. The class will be different without her smile. But you can be sure that we will see her again."

Last week, Mrs Winter, who is expecting a baby in seven weeks, described her daughter as "bubbly, well-liked and sensitive".

Last year, Mrs Winter's brother, Mark Maughan, also from Barnard Castle, was killed while driving to work. In 1998 Mr Maughan's five-week old daughter - Kelsey's cousin - died from cot death. Mrs Winter's other brother, Michael, died on the railway line in the Darlington area in 1996.

* The Northern Echo was invited to attend the funeral by Kelsey's family