Hundreds attend funeral of Libby Squire eight months after her death

3 October 2019, 16:23

Libby Squire has been remembered as a "beautiful person" by hundreds of mourners during a funeral held eight months after her death.

The service was held near Libby's family's home at St Lawrence's Church in West Wycombe, Buckinghamshire.

The coffin of the 21-year-old student was surrounded by white roses and was driven to the gates of the church in a vintage car.

As it left the church, the assembled crowd of around 250 people broke out into applause as she was driven away.

Miss Squire's family asked people attending to bring a photo of Libby or to write down a memory.

Her mother Lisa read an emotional poem during the service, calling her daughter "my angel, my darling, my Pie, my star".

Mrs Squire also thanked friends and family for their love and support.

"We would not have got through any of this without you," she told the service.

Rev Jenny Ellis conducted the service, telling the mourners: "It's a wonderful tribute for Libby and her family that so many of you are here today.

"Let's make this a wonderful celebration of a beautiful person."

Ms Ellis said the funeral was "absolutely essential" to give family, friends and the community closure.

"The whole point is to draw a line under things and enable people to move on," she told reporters after the service.

"The service was about letting her go."

A video was played during the funeral showing Libby's life in photos to the tune of Phil Collins' You'll Be In My Heart and Take That's Shine

Respects have also been paid in Hull with flowers being laid on a bench on Beverley Road where she was last seen.

Libby, originally from High Wycombe, disappeared after a night out in Hull on 1 February this year.

She was last seen just after midnight at the junction of Beverley Road and Haworth Street, near her home on Wellesley Avenue.

Following an extensive police search, the University of Hull philosophy student was found seven weeks later, when her body was recovered from the Humber estuary on 20 March,

Libby's body was released to her family at the end of August.

A 25-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of murder and released under investigation.

Humberside Police said its investigation was continuing and a file was being prepared for the Crown Prosecution Service.

In a statement, Humberside Police said: "Our thoughts are with Libby's parents, family and friends and we send our heartfelt condolences to them on this sad and difficult day."