West Ham colours were the order of the day at the funeral of a Medway teenager who died after a long battle with cancer.

Hundreds of mourners came out to pay their final respects to Aaron Basden who lost his fight for life earlier this month at his family home in Ordnance Street, Chatham.

Aaron was laid to rest at Medway Crematorium, in Robin Hood Lane, Blue Bell Hill, Chatham, on Tuesday.

Aaron, 13, loved playing football. He was also an avid West Ham supporter and picked his own funeral songs, including the club’s anthem, I’m Forever Blowing Bubbles.

In the last stages of his battle against cancer he had also asked for his coffin to bear the club’s colours and badge.

His family and very close friends were able to say goodbye to him at a private service which was held at Demelza House Children’s Hospice, in Bobbing, near Sittingbourne, before the cremation service at Chatham.

Many of the young mourners also wore West Ham colours.

Paul Basden, Aaron’s uncle said: “The funeral went well and to see the amount of people there for Aaron was just so overwhelming and emotional.

“The private service was hard as it was the first time I had seen Aaron’s coffin.

“It was out of this world, true craftsmanship and seeing the photo I took of Aaron actually printed onto the foot of it started me off.”

Aaron, when he was well enough, had played for Hempstead based Spartac FC. His team came to the funeral in their team colours.

Paul added: “His sister, Rhianna plays for Meridian Girls FC under 12s and they were also at the service, in big numbers, and were all wearing their club’s football shirts and bright red rain jackets.

“Aaron was a familiar face at the club, he also trained there.

“Spartac had a replica shirt made with flowers, as did Meridian Girls.

“I should also thank Anna Arnold for doing the flowers from our side of the family, they were beautiful.”

The pall bearers at the funeral were Aaron’s grandad Robert Basden, uncles Mark and Paul Basden and his auntie Karen Philips.