Chrissy, left, and his brother Jack, eightGAZETTE & HERALD: FAMILY and schoolfriends packed St Mary's RC Church in Chippenham on Monday to bid farewell to 15-year-old Chrissy Paduch, who died on August 13 after suffering a brain haemorrhage.

A police guard of honour met his coffin as it was carried into the church in Station Hill.

Both parents are serving police officers in Swindon, and Chrissy's father, Matthew Price, 30, was among the coffin bearers.

A keen footballer and pupil of Abbeyfield School in Chippenham, Chrissy, 15, of Lysley Close, died after becoming ill during a sleepover at a friend's house on August 12.

Returning home the next day, he told his father that he had been sick and went to bed. But his condition took a turn for the worse and his frightened parents called an ambulance.

Sadly, he died the next day at Bath's Royal United Hospital.

Doctors told his devastated mother Liz, 32, that the cyst that caused his death could have lain undetected since his birth.

He had shown no outward signs of illness, prior to that, apart from suffering a bad headache during a family holiday to Menorca, several weeks before.

The coffin was draped with a St George's flag and adorned with family flowers.

During the service, Father Desmond Millett, parish priest of St Mary's and Dean of Trowbridge, described him as a young man who had lived life to the full.

Highlighting his love of football and poetry, he said Chrissy had many friends who would miss him deeply.

Danny Kitts, assistant head teacher at Abbeyfield School also read from St John's gospel.

A touching family tribute was read by Marek Paduch, Chrissy's uncle, who said life had cheated the family by taking him away so soon.

Mr Paduch spoke of his nephew's wonderful sense of humour, of how he was a credit to his parents, and he asked Chrissy's many friends to speak of him often to keep his memory alive.

Chrissy's tearful younger brother Jack, 8, was also amongst the mourners, who sang hymns including All Things Bright and Beautiful and The Lord is My Shepherd.

Organist Geraldine Couzens also sang a solo, the hymn, Be Still for the Presence of the Lord.

Following the service, Chrissy's coffin was led out of the church to the strains of some of his favourite rock music as crowds of his tearful friends comforted each other.

A family burial then took place at London Road cemetery in Chippenham, followed by a reception at The Angel Hotel in Market Place, Chippenham.

A promising student, Chrissy had been predicted top grades in his GCSEs, which he would have taken next summer.

A keen drummer and lover of rock music, his friend Ben Stackman, 16, who lives two doors away in Lysley Close, compiled a CD of his favourite tracks to be played at the reception following the funeral.

Another of Chrissy's closest friends, Ben Horncastle, has built a website as a memorial, www.phreem.com. Abbeyfield headteacher Trish Shubrook attended the service, as did Chrissy's form tutor, Matthew Rose.

Speaking after the funeral, a schoolfriend of Chrissy's, Philip Mannering, 15, of Lysley Close said: "Chris was clever, funny and witty and never missed an opportunity to make me laugh. He gave me a lot of advice and he will be missed by me and his many friends."

Donations made in Chrissy's memory are to be given to the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children.