Family holds funeral for five-year-old killed by Mark Bridger at church in Machynlleth days before anniversary of death
Almost a year after the schoolgirl April Jones was abducted and murdered, her family are finally laying her to rest.
Mourners have been asked to wear pink – the five-year-old's favourite colour – or something bright for the funeral of the child, who was taken from the town of Machynlleth in mid-Wales as she played on her bicycle and killed by former abattoir worker Mark Bridger.
Despite the biggest search in British police history, her body has not been found but police were careful to preserve tiny bone fragments found in Bridger's fireplace believed to be the only remains of April so that her parents, Coral and Paul, could give her some sort of send-off.
Hymns and prayers were to be sung and said at the funeral service at St Peter's church in Machynlleth on Thursday but no eulogies made. Donations will be used to sponsor a five-year-old girl in Africa.
April was abducted by Bridger on 1 October last year as she played with a friend close to her home. Earlier this year, Bridger was convicted of her murder and told he will serve the rest of his life behind bars.
At the end of his trial the girl's family appealed for him to say where her body was, explaining that they will find it hard to move on until they recover it but Bridger has insisted he cannot remember what he did with the girl's remains.
An inquest held earlier this month concluded the formal proceedings connected to the case and cleared the way for the family to organise a funeral just five days short of the grim anniversary.
The Rev Kathleen Rogers, who is officiating at the ceremony, said she hoped the service would give comfort to April's family and the community.
She said: "A funeral plays a significant part in the grieving process and the funeral of little April will be even more important for her family as the probability of such a service was very remote until the inquest two weeks ago.
"Our prayer is that it will be a starting point for them as they travel the long and painful journey of healing. It will also, I think, give the community permission to bring some sort of normality back to our town."
April's parents have said they do not want flowers to be sent but have asked that donations go to a church project to sponsor a five-year-old girl in Uganda. Rogers said the girl would be sponsored until she finished her education and any spare money would be used to help other villagers.
In recent weeks a memorial garden has been created on the green close to where April lived. It includes a doll's house, cuddly toys and flowers – all pink. A wooden seat – dubbed "April's bench"– and a picnic table have been crafted by staff from the nearby Centre for Alternative Technology.
A horsedrawn hearse will carry April's coffin from the Bryn y Gog estate along the high street to the church for the noon service.
Among the mourners will be Detective Superintendent Andy John, who led the investigation into April's murder, along with family liaison officers and members of the search teams who combed the hills, rivers and fields around Machynlleth looking for the girl.
John told April's inquest that on the "balance of probabilities", the youngster died at Bridger's cottage, Mount Pleasant in the village of Ceinws, just outside Machynlleth, on the day she was abducted.
The trial judge ruled that Bridger's crime was sexually motivated. After his arrest police found images of children being sexually abused on his laptop.
John has previously said he believes the girl's body was dismembered and scattered in different locations, possibly including a river. Bridger's skill as a former abattoir worker and his knowledge of the area would have helped him hide the remains. Reported by guardian.co.uk 15 hours ago.
Almost a year after the schoolgirl April Jones was abducted and murdered, her family are finally laying her to rest.
Mourners have been asked to wear pink – the five-year-old's favourite colour – or something bright for the funeral of the child, who was taken from the town of Machynlleth in mid-Wales as she played on her bicycle and killed by former abattoir worker Mark Bridger.
Despite the biggest search in British police history, her body has not been found but police were careful to preserve tiny bone fragments found in Bridger's fireplace believed to be the only remains of April so that her parents, Coral and Paul, could give her some sort of send-off.
Hymns and prayers were to be sung and said at the funeral service at St Peter's church in Machynlleth on Thursday but no eulogies made. Donations will be used to sponsor a five-year-old girl in Africa.
April was abducted by Bridger on 1 October last year as she played with a friend close to her home. Earlier this year, Bridger was convicted of her murder and told he will serve the rest of his life behind bars.
At the end of his trial the girl's family appealed for him to say where her body was, explaining that they will find it hard to move on until they recover it but Bridger has insisted he cannot remember what he did with the girl's remains.
An inquest held earlier this month concluded the formal proceedings connected to the case and cleared the way for the family to organise a funeral just five days short of the grim anniversary.
The Rev Kathleen Rogers, who is officiating at the ceremony, said she hoped the service would give comfort to April's family and the community.
She said: "A funeral plays a significant part in the grieving process and the funeral of little April will be even more important for her family as the probability of such a service was very remote until the inquest two weeks ago.
"Our prayer is that it will be a starting point for them as they travel the long and painful journey of healing. It will also, I think, give the community permission to bring some sort of normality back to our town."
April's parents have said they do not want flowers to be sent but have asked that donations go to a church project to sponsor a five-year-old girl in Uganda. Rogers said the girl would be sponsored until she finished her education and any spare money would be used to help other villagers.
In recent weeks a memorial garden has been created on the green close to where April lived. It includes a doll's house, cuddly toys and flowers – all pink. A wooden seat – dubbed "April's bench"– and a picnic table have been crafted by staff from the nearby Centre for Alternative Technology.
A horsedrawn hearse will carry April's coffin from the Bryn y Gog estate along the high street to the church for the noon service.
Among the mourners will be Detective Superintendent Andy John, who led the investigation into April's murder, along with family liaison officers and members of the search teams who combed the hills, rivers and fields around Machynlleth looking for the girl.
John told April's inquest that on the "balance of probabilities", the youngster died at Bridger's cottage, Mount Pleasant in the village of Ceinws, just outside Machynlleth, on the day she was abducted.
The trial judge ruled that Bridger's crime was sexually motivated. After his arrest police found images of children being sexually abused on his laptop.
John has previously said he believes the girl's body was dismembered and scattered in different locations, possibly including a river. Bridger's skill as a former abattoir worker and his knowledge of the area would have helped him hide the remains. Reported by guardian.co.uk 15 hours ago.