Funeral tribute to Speight

The father of television presenter Mark Speight has paid tribute to the star's life and career.

Oliver Speight described his son as a 'Pied Piper figure' who took youngsters on a "magical mystery tour" of art.

Mr Speight told his son's funeral that the 42-year-old had also been a poet, comedian and artist with a special talent for making people laugh and smile.

Colleagues of the children's TV star and relatives of his late fiancée, Natasha Collins, were among around 200 mourners who attended the funeral in Wolverhampton.

Mr Speight told the hour-long service that his family had been deeply moved by the flood of emails from children expressing sympathy after he was found dead on April 13.

The 42-year-old was found hanging in a building next to Paddington train station.

Friends said he was left reeling by the death of his fiancée Natasha Collins at the flat they shared in St John's Wood, north-west London, in January.

A coroner recorded a verdict of death by misadventure at the inquest into Collins' death.

She had taken cocaine and sleeping tablets and suffered hot water burns covering 60 per cent of her body.

The funeral took place at Wolverhampton's St Michael and All Angels Church.

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