Laughter and tears at Natasha Paton's funeral

LAUGHTER rather than tears, purple rather than black and pop songs rather than hymns.

These were the sights and sounds of the church service held on Wednesday to say goodbye to 17-year-old Natasha Paton, the Lanark Grammar pupil killed in last week's school coach accident.

Lanark's St Nicholas Church was packed with fellow pupils, teachers and family for what was described as a Service of Celebration of the life of the popular teenager, following her funeral earlier that day at Holytown Crematorium.

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Natasha's ashes were brought to the kirk but even the presence of the urn didn't turn the gathering into anything resembling a traditional, sombre Scots funeral.

It was more like a farewell party, thrown for a teenager by her pals before her leaving on a long journey.

Many of her school friends came to the service wearing her favourite colour purple and songs played were all favourites from the music-mad teenager's own vast i-pod collection.

Some mourners also wore tops with the words "gone but not forgotten" with Natasha's name underneath.

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It was an event at which there were more sad smiles than tears.

Her housemaster, Fergie Robson, filled the kirk with laughter, recounting how, while talking to the fiesty Natasha about her planned career as a beautician, she blankly stated that she'd never, ever do pedicures.

"I don't do feet. MY customers will just have to learn to wear proper shoes!"

Even her grieving mum Jackie won a wave of sympathietc laughter and recognition from Tasha's pals when she said: "It's a shame she can't be here in person; she would have just loved all this attention."

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The service was led by one of the school chaplains, Reverend Sarah Ross.

Natasha would have turned 18 on Tuesday. She died when a coach taking a school party to Alton Towers left the road, smashed through a bridge parapet and crashed into a burn at Wiston.

Investigations into the crash are still on-going.

Touching tributes to 17-year-old Natasha are featured in this week's Gazette.