Mourners wear fancy dress for Ben

In pictures: Ben Kinsella funeral

Friends of stab victim Ben Kinsella celebrated his life by turning up to his funeral wearing fancy dress.

Many people wore colourful wigs and large sunglasses as they paid their last respects to Ben, 16, who was stabbed in north London last month.

Others attending the service at St John's the Evangelist Roman Catholic Church in Islington, north London, wore T-shirts bearing anti-knife slogans.

About 1,000 people, including the local MP and TV actors, attended the service.

Ben's sister, former EastEnders actress Brooke Kinsella, 24, said: "Please, please let us learn from Ben and every other child that has been stolen from us."

Ben's close friend Brooke Dunford, 16, said: "He wouldn't have wanted everyone to wear black."

'Saddest day'

Miss Dunford was among the first to arrive for the funeral which was followed by a private ceremony at St Pancras and Islington Cemetery.

Outside the church she laid a bunch of flowers with a note which read: "The most saddest day of my life, Ben, when I lost you.

I'm not scared any more. There's no weight on my shoulders, no struggle A line from Ben's poem

"I will hold you in my heart forever, I love you, you hottie."

Former EastEnders actresses Gillian Taylforth and Michelle Ryan and MP for Islington North Jeremy Corbyn were among those present at the funeral.

Also in attendance was Richard Taylor, whose 10-year-old son Damilola was stabbed to death with broken glass in November 2000 in Peckham, south east London.

Mourners heard a poem written by Ben and a letter addressed to him by his mother after his death.

A verse from his poem read: "So what comes next for me? God knows. I don't.

"This is my home now and I've never felt better.

"I'm not scared any more. There's no weight on my shoulders, no struggle.

"Let's just see what a future here brings. But at the moment, this is living. Not death."

One of Ben's favourite songs, "The Girls" by Calvin Harris, was played at the service.

Ben was stabbed several times when a fight spilled out of a pub into York Way on 29 June.

Juries Kika and Michael Allende, both 18, and Jade Braithwaite, 19, are due to appear at the Old Bailey in October charged with Ben's murder.

Ben was the 17th teenager to die in violent circumstances in London this year.

Earlier this month up to 400 protesters marched in Upper Street, Islington, to the scene of the killing to demand an end to knife crime.

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