A HEADTEACHER has said how proud she is of her pupils after a funeral service for teenager killed in a crash.

Sally Wilson from The Blandford School paid tribute to their response after former student Ben Andrews, 19, was killed in a traffic accident.

His funeral at Blandford parish church was attended by more than 400 people, including many current and former pupils.

Mrs Wilson wrote an open letter to the school which said: “The funeral service was a time for you all to remember Ben and you did so with enormous reverence.

“The students and ex students who carried the hearse and delivered their tribute to Ben deserve a special mention for their strength of character.

“The dignity and maturity in church shown by all the young people has been commended not only by my colleagues but also by members of the public who have gone out of their way to let me know how impressed they were.”