Respects paid to Thomas Brown in a unique tribute

BARNARD Castle was brought to a standstill today as hundreds of people gathered to pay their respects to 27-year-old Thomas Brown.

His coffin was carried to St Mary's Church this morning in a tractor followed by a procession of more 60 motorbikes from the North East MotoX Club whose riders revved their engines in tribute.

Mr Brown, from Marwood, died during a motocross event on April 30.

At the funeral, Canon Alec Harding said: "And now he has gone. He appears in pictures on your Timelines, he was indeed the ‘selfie king’: always taking pictures and posting them, always careful to make sure that his hair looked good. He was a part of your lives but he is no longer here with us and we mourn his death. Yes, we wish to celebrate Thomas’ life but this is a place that holds both grief and celebration together – a safe place to cry and a fitting place to give thanks. We are here because Thomas’ life mattered to us: as members of his family, as his colleagues, as friends. We are here because we loved him."

Full story and photos of the touching tribute in this week's paper.