'To the best big brother ever! We will always miss you': Boy, four, who slipped off jetty and drowned is laid to rest in a Sonic the Hedgehog coffin

• Dylan Cecil was on holiday visiting his grandparents when he fell into the water at Burnham-on-Sea in Somerset on Sunday August 19
• His parents, Rachel McCollum and Darren Cecil, attempted to save their son
• Hundreds of mourners turned out to pay their last respects to the youngster, at St Mary’s Church in Kettering this afternoon
• Mother read a poem to mourners

There were emotional scenes today as the family and friends of a four-year-old boy who drowned after slipping from a jetty attended his church funeral.
Dylan Cecil slipped into the sea off a jetty while on holiday with his family in Burnham-on-Sea, Somerset on Sunday August 19.
He was said to have been trying to get a closer look at the sea when the tragedy happened.

Tragedy: Dylan Cecil fell into the water at Burnham-on-Sea in Somerset on Sunday August 19. Pictured front right is his father Darren Cecil and his mother Rachel McCollum is behind the coffin

Accident: Dylan, 4, from Kettering in Northamptonshire

The youngster, from Kettering in Northamptonshire, disappeared from view while members of his family were enjoying a day on the coast.
His parents, Rachel McCollum and Darren Cecil, attempted to save their boy, while emergency services quickly launched a search and rescue operation.
The body was discovered by a member of the public under a floating jetty at the mouth of the River Brue, near Burnham-on-Sea Yacht Club - half a mile from where Dylan went missing.
At St Mary’s Church in Kettering this afternoon hundreds of mourners turned out to pay their last respects to the youngster, many wearing blue in honour of Dylan’s beloved Kettering Town FC and Sonic the hedgehog.
Mr Cecil was one of the pall-bearers who lifted his son’s blue coffin, which also had a picture of Sonic on the side and a football scarf draped over it, out of the white horse-drawn carriage and carried it into church.

Ceremony: The coffin arrives for the funeral service at St Mary's Church, Fuller Street, Kettering as hundreds of mourners file in behind

Devastated: His parents, Rachel McCollum and Darren Cecil, attempted to save their boy, while emergency services quickly launched a search and rescue operation

Tiny coffin: The blue casket had a picture of Sonic on the side and a football scarf draped over it, and was carried in a white horse-drawn carriage

One tribute, attached to a rectangular cream arrangement dedicated to 'brother' and with a poem and a picture of the cartoon hedgehog, said: 'To the best big brother ever!! Dylan we love and will miss you always. Love Faithy B and Ali bop bop xxx.'

Many mourners hugged one another and wiped away tears as they silently watched.
In the playground next to the church, children stopped playing football and stood quietly at the gates of the court while the coffin was carried in.

Members of Kettering Town FC were also part of the congregation.

As Dylan’s mother, Ms McCollum, who was wearing a blue dress, left the church after the hour-long service, she said goodbye to her son and bent to kiss his coffin before it was lifted into the horse-drawn carriage.
A poem she had written was read out during the service, prayers were said and hymns sung for the youngster.

The hymn ‘All Creatures Great and Small’ could be heard seeping from the aisles of the church out on to the streets of the town rocked by Dylan’s death.

Support: Dylan's mother was hugged by a mourner as his father lifted the coffin into the horse-drawn carriage

Memories: Hundreds of mourners turned out to pay their last respects to the youngster, many wearing blue in honour of Dylan's beloved Kettering Town FC and Sonic the hedgehog

Expressions of sorrow: Handwritten messages on floral tributes inside the hearse described the sadness felt by Dylan’s family at his death

Dylan Cecil, right, pictured with his parents Rachel McCollum and Darren Cecil, on his fourth birthday

One of the pictures of Dylan in the order of service showed him smiling and wearing a Sonic the Hedgehog baseball cap.
Ms McCollum was hugged tightly and she sobbed as her son’s coffin was lifted into the hearse.
Mr Cecil wiped tears from his eyes as he turned to embrace family and friends.
Handwritten messages on floral tributes inside the hearse described the sadness felt by Dylan’s family at his death.
One, attached to a rectangular cream arrangement dedicated to 'brother' and with a poem and a picture of the cartoon hedgehog, said: 'To the best big brother ever!! Dylan we love and will miss you always. Love Faithy B and Ali bop bop xxx.'
A card on a wreath of flowers including white lilies and red roses from his grandparents said: 'To our special grandson Dylan. You will always be with us. Lots of love, seaside Nanny and Grandad.'
Another, laid on the pavement outside the church gates, showed a picture of Sonic and had a card that said: 'For Dylan, our beautiful little boy that we love and miss so much. Always in our hearts, our thoughts and our prayers. Nanny and Grandad Cecil xxx.'

Last sighting: After he slipped into the sea, Dylan's mother Rachel McCollum, centre, returned to the spot where the boy was last seen with police community support officers

Cars came to a halt as the carriage carrying Dylan was driven slowly from the church, followed by his parents and family in cars behind, as he was taken for a private burial.

Donations in memory of Dylan, whose body was taken to be cremated after the service, were asked to be made to BARB (Burnham Area Rescue Boat).