HUNDREDS of mourners packed into a church to celebrate the life of a young soldier.

St John's Church, in Darlington, was left with standing room only as nearly 300 mourners gathered for the funeral with full military honours of 18-year-old John Dean Myers.

Private Myers was found dead, believed to be from natural causes, in his barracks in Redford, Edinburgh, earlier this month.

His coffin was brought to the church in a horse-drawn hearse, followed by three mourners' cars and a van carrying floral tributes.

His Army cap and a Union flag were carried on top of the coffin.

At the beginning and end of the service, Gabrielle's Dreams Can Come True and REM's Everybody Hurts were played.

The hymns All Things Bright and Beautiful and Onward Christian Soldiers were sung.

Reverend Christine Blakesley talked about how the rifleman, who served with the 3rd Battalion Rifles, was devoted to his friends, family and Army life.

His commanding officer, Major Ben Lampard, also spoke of Pte Myers' bravery while under fire in Afghanistan.

Only two weeks after arriving in the country, Pte Myers' platoon became involved in a three-hour fire-fight.

At the end of the battle, Maj Lampard asked Pte Myers how he was.

"He told me he was fine, 'he was living the dream'," said Maj Lampard. "This phrase was something I was to hear from him quite some times. His friends and family should be rightly proud of his achievements."

Tributes were also paid by Pte Myers' father, Stephen, who said: "We all have our dreams, and they can come true, if only for a short time as John proved, but they can come true."

An Army bugler played the Last Post and Reveille as the coffin was carried out of the church on the shoulders of six of Pte Myers' comrades.

The funeral procession then went to East Cemetery, in Geneva Road for the interment.

Before the coffin was lowered into the ground, the Union flag was folded and passed to his mother, Janice Dawson.

Three volleys of rifle fire were then shot as he was interred.

The Northern Echo attended the funeral with the family's permission of Pte Myers' family