MORE than 250 family and friends attended the funeral of “free spirit” Ceejay Broadhead.

Mourners wore tie dye clothes and bright colours in a celebration of the 19-year-old and let off balloons outside the Immanuel Church in Southbourne after the service.

Ceejay's multi-coloured coffin had a model of a surfer on top and arrived in a friend's Volkswagen camper van before being carried by his family.

His parents Paul and Kay wrote a joint speech about the former Ringwood School pupil.

They said: “You were too full of life to be taken away from us so soon.

“You are our baby boy, our youngest son and our free spirit, our beautiful Ceejay.

“We can't imagine our life without you and we hope you are looking down and seeing how much you are loved.”

Ceejay, who lived in Southbourne, died in a car crash in Bransgore on Thursday, August 15. He was one of six siblings, leaving behind brothers Phil, Logan and Myles and sisters Charlotte and Alana.

A montage of images were shown during the service by the Reverend Peter Southgate.

Ceejay's brother Phil, 29, said they had wanted everyone to wear bright colours to celebrate the “mischievous” Ceejay.

He said: “He was bright and funny with a zest for life.

“He was pretty much our figurehead.”

Keiran Bellows spoke about his “best friend”, “wing man” and “soul mate”, saying he had hoped his first speech for Ceejay would be as his best man.

He said: “Ceejay made everyone's life that much more exciting and he lived each day as if it was his last.”

He added: “Those we love live on through memories and the fact there are so many people here today proves Ceejay will never really be gone.”