Mourners all in blue at packed funeral for Jay

HUNDREDS of mourners wearing blue yesterday packed out the funeral of teenager Jay Slater, who died in Tenerife while on his first solo holiday.

- Stewart Whittingham

The apprentice bricklayer, 19, from Lancashire, vanished after attending a music festival, setting off an international manhunt.

His body was found 29 days later down a rocky ravine and it is thought he fell to his death as he tried to walk back to his accommodation.

Mother Debbie Duncan, 55, sobbed as his blue coffin was brought out of a horse-drawn hearse at Accrington Crematorium’s chapel. His father Warren Slater, 58, and older brother Zak, 24, both wiped away tears in the pouring rain.

With the chapel full, hundreds of mourners stood outside watching on a screen, many holding blue umbrellas. Blue was Jay’s favourite colour and blue wristbands, ribbons and roses were also seen in the crowd.

Blue ribbons were tied to the cemetery gates as blue smoke bombs were let off outside, while some wore blue T-shirts with the words: “Forever 19.”

Pallbearers including his older brother carried the coffin, engraved with “JAY” on the side, inside for the “celebration” of his life, as a Lana del Rey song played.