Hundreds of people are expected to attend the funeral this weekend for Michael Kerr, the 30-year-old man who was found stabbed to death at Capel last month.

The service is due to take place at Charlton Church, at 10am, on Saturday.

Family and friends have raised almost £1,000 to pay for the funeral and people are being asked to make donations in his memory rather than buy flowers.

Many tributes have been paid to Mr Kerr, who lived at Aycliffe, and hundreds of lanterns were released all over the town in his memory.

People said that he “wouldn’t hurt a fly” and they described the budding DJ, who was a former pupil at Harbour School in Dover as “kind and caring”.

Family friend Kylie Marsh, who has been organising a Facebook page dedicated to Mr Kerr, said the family were overwhelmed by people’s generosity.

She wrote: “Thank-you for all your help and support.

“It means so very much to his parents and shows what a legacy Michael left us, friends, family, a town coming together.”

A target of £2,000 had been set to pay for the funeral and for a memorial to Mr Kerr.

Donations can still be made at the Cricketers pub at Crabble Lane River, where the wake will be held after Saturday’s service; at Ann and Pam’s florist in Cherry Tree Avenue or direct at Nationwide, into the Michael Keer Fund, account number 0285/704304781.

Two women, Charlotte Coulson, 21, of Clarendon Street, Dover, and Alicia Davis, 22, of Milner Crescent, Aylesham, have appeared at the Crown Court charged with Mr Kerr’s murder.

They have been remanded in custody, and, as reported in the Mercury last week, the trial will take place out of Kent for legal reasons. It may be held at the Old Bailey.