THE distraught mother of Rhys Jones kissed his coffin goodbye as thousands of mourners remembered the murdered 11-year-old at his football-themed funeral yesterday.

As family members prepared to leave Liverpool Cathedral, Melanie Jones, 41, stepped away from the group and asked one of the undertakers to pull the coffin from the hearse.

She bent over, kissed it, then rested her head close to it for a moment before being joined by husband Stephen, 44.

Rhys, who was shot dead by a hooded youth on a BMX bike, was remembered by more than 2,500 people inside the cathedral and 800 people outside during the hour-long service yesterday.

Earlier, the funeral cortege passed crowds of mourners outside his beloved Goodison Park, en-route to the cathedral from the family home in Croxteth, Liverpool.

Hundreds of members of the public also attended the service at Liverpool's Anglican Cathedral wearing bright colours and football shirts following a request by Rhys' parents that the service should be a celebration of the youngster's life.

Among those attending were senior players and officials from Rhys' beloved Everton Football Club, as well as officials and players from Liverpool FC.

Rhys' blue coffin, with the Everton crest on each side, was carried into the cathedral by his father and brother, Owen, 17, and uncles Neil and David Jones.

The Everton theme tune - folk song Johnny Todd, from TV's Z Cars series - was played as the youngster was carried past the throng of mourners.

After the opening hymn, All Things Bright and Beautiful, relatives Michelle Taylor and Lisa Winterbottom read verses from Matthew 18.

Rhys' uncle, Neil Jones, gave a moving tribute in which he described the youngster as nuts about football and remembered his "short and happy life".

Mr Jones said: "Standing here talking to you about Rhys is easy, it is the circumstances which brought us here that are hard to deal with.

"He should have been stood here talking about me years from now.

"He was football crazy, absolutely nuts about it and his team was Everton FC.

"As his Red uncle, it was my duty to rib him about being a blue nose but his belief was unshakeable.

"Football is nothing without rivalry, particularly in a city such as ours.

"Some of Rhys' closest friends are wearing shirts today of different colours.

"But Rhys was grown up enough to know that friends came first and football second."

He then read a poem written by Rhys' father called "Rhys", in which the father spoke about his son's glistening eyes and cheeky face.

Everton player Alan Stubbs read a meditation, Walking With Grief, before the Bishop's sermon and prayers.

Seventeen people have so far been arrested in the hunt for his killer. Twelve have been bailed pending further inquiries and five have been released without charge.

They are now being treated as witnesses.