Hundreds of mourners have paid their respects to a 12-year-old girl who was stabbed following a Christmas lights switch-on.
Ava White died last month after she was assaulted in Liverpool city centre.
Photographs of the schoolgirl covered her coffin, which was brought to her funeral service at Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral in a white horse-drawn carriage on Thursday morning.
Applause broke out from the congregation as the coffin was brought into the church, and again later when the short, emotional service ended.
Ava’s father Robert Martin, her mother Leanne White and her sister Mia were present, along with other family members.
A person holds the order of service at Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral ahead of the funeral of Ava White, 12, who was fatally stabbed in Liverpool city centre on November 25.
Danny Lawson
Her fellow pupils from Notre Dame Catholic College were also in attendance, as were some from her former school, Trinity RC Primary.
Many of those attending wore bright colours and some had hoodies bearing a photograph of the youngster.
Officiating the service, Archbishop Malcolm McMahon said Ava was a “popular, loving young person” who he was told “would try anything once” and “did not fear anything”.
She loved going on holiday, mixed martial arts, singing, dancing and making TikTok videos, he said.
The Archbishop of Liverpool Malcolm McMahon speaks to the media outside Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral
Danny Lawson
He said: “Ava was loved by so many people, undoubtedly heaven will be a happier place.”
Following the service, he told reporters: “The tragic, heart-breaking loss of Ava White brought deep shock and sadness to everyone in the city.
“The turnout today at the cathedral shows the unity and love that we have in Liverpool for Ava and her family.
“It was an incredibly moving and emotional funeral which was a fitting tribute to Ava.
“We continue to pray for Ava, her family, her friends, her teachers and her community.”
