As the York Minster bells tolled noon today, hundreds of mourners filed into nearby St Wilfrid's Church to pay their last respects to two much-loved York men who died in a plane crash.
HELPING HANDS: Family members arrive at St Wilfrid's Church in York today for the funeral service Picture: Frank Dwyer
The church was so packed for this afternoon's funeral of Gerry Davitt, 42, of Naburn, and his father Laurence, 67, of Heworth, that around 20 mourners listened to the service from the steps.
One mourner, a young woman, broke down in tears on the steps of the church, and had to be comforted by others.
The two men the mourners had gathered to remember were among four who perished when the light aircraft in which they were travelling plunged into a field at Hemingbrough, near Selby, late last month.
They and fellow victims Paul Blackburn, from Spofforth, and Kenneth Moore, of Harrogate, were travelling from Sherburn Aero Club to a small airfield near Rotterdam when the tragedy unfolded.
Passers-by stopped to watch in respectful silence as relatives of Gerry and Laurence Davitt arrived in three cars for today's funeral before being ushered into church.T
he hearses which bore the two men's coffins were decked with floral tributes.
A tribute to Laurence Davitt read 'Granddad' and tributes to his son Gerry read 'Dad' and 'Boss'.
The service opened with mourners joining in the hymn Lord Of All Hopefulness.
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