A PACKED church heard tributes to an “amazing” teenager and a plea to turn anger about his death into positive action.

Ben Andrews, 19, from Blandford, died after a crash on the A354 near the Pimperne roundabout on Monday, May 7.

The 350-seat St Peter and St Paul’s Church in Blandford was full for yesterday’s funeral with around 80 more people standing at the back and lining the walls.

The former Milldown and Blandford schools pupil was then taken for a burial service at Poole Crematorium. He died at Dorset County Hospital following a head-on collision.

A 19-year-old was arrested on suspicion of motoring offences.

The Reverend Tim Storey, who took the service, said he sensed many people felt “a measure of anger” at Ben’s death.

But he said the best tribute would be for people to use any anger to make the correct decisions in their lives.

Mr Storey added: “He was an amazing guy who wanted people to live together.”

The service heard Ben lived in Wareham before moving to Blandford, and that while at school he was “not a fan of academic life”, but enjoyed trampolining, water polo and art.

He studied public services at Bournemouth and Poole College, worked at Tesco and had a long-term plan to join the police.

Ben was also a volunteer youth worker and “was the agony aunt and Big Brother for everybody at Blandford Youth Centre”.

Dad Paul thanked the hundreds of friends at the service, many wearing red Polo shirts, for their memories and support.

He remembered Ben’s “cheeky grin and puppy dog eyes”, adding: “I could not have wished for a better son. He really was brilliant.”

Little sister Molly started to read her own tribute to her “lovely brother” but became too upset to continue, reducing many mourners to tears.

A group of friends spoke of Ben as cheerful and caring, true and loyal, someone who would pick you up when you were down and always listen.

They noted how many lives he had touched, including those of strangers, and said: “Ben truly was the best person I have had the privilege to meet.”

The congregation was invited to reflect on their own memories before giving Ben a round of applause.

The coffin was brought in to the song Iridescent by Linkin Park, and taken out into the sunlight to a version of the song Bye Bye Baby, where tearful friends and family hugged before the hearse moved away.