HUNDREDS of mourners packed a church for the funeral of a popular Tadcaster man who has died, aged 21.

Ryan Cumberland’s funeral took place at St Mary’s Parish Church in Tadcaster, about a fortnight after his death at a house in the town.

A relative said his family had been devastated by the loss of Ryan, who had been a very popular young man.

He said: “The church was absolutely packed at the funeral. There were about 300 to 350 people there and every single seat was taken.

“After the funeral, everyone present at the interment threw a single rose into his grave and a relative’s son played an acapello version of a well-known song, Green Day’s Time Of Your Life. There was applause at the graveside afterwards. It was very moving.”

He said Ryan was a former Tadcaster Grammar School pupil who had worked as a joiner in recent times at Thorp Arch.

North Yorkshire Police said officers had been called to a house in Hudson Way by Ryan’s family on the morning of January 22.

“Sadly the man was found deceased at the property,” said a spokeswoman.

“An inquest opened and adjourned into his death on January 24. Police are not treating his death as suspicious and a report will be prepared for the coroner.”