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Hundreds gather in Liversedge for funeral of Beau who died of cancer

Phil Bodmer/BBC Crowds gathered outside a churchPhil Bodmer/BBC
Hundreds of mourners gathered outside a packed All Saints Church, in Roberttown, where Beau's funeral service was taking place

Hundreds of people have gathered for the funeral of a six-year-old girl who died from an aggressive form of cancer.

Beau, from Liversedge, Kirklees, was diagnosed with high-risk neuroblastoma in December 2020. She died earlier this month just before her seventh birthday.

Mourners packed All Saints Church in Roberttown, with hundreds more stood outside.

The youngster's mother had praised her "amazing" community for raising £290,000 towards pioneering treatment.

Beau's family were trying to raise £317,000 for her to take part in a specialist clinical trial in the US before her death.

Family handout BeauFamily handout
Beau's family had hoped to take the youngster for specialist treatment in the US in a bid to "reduce the chance of relapse"

She had been receiving NHS treatment including chemotherapy, stem cell transplant and immunotherapy, which ended in April.

Her family had hoped to take her abroad for the trial in a bid to "reduce the chance of relapse".

Her mother Shirley Hepworth said of the fundraising campaign: "Everybody has been so amazing and they've jumped on the back of it and recognised Beau, a child of that community, and done everything."

During Friday's service, which began at 13:00 BST, friends and relatives shared poignant memories of Beau, which were relayed via a PA system to mourners gathered in the churchyard.

She was referred to as "Beau Beau , the best Beau Beau in the world, a fighter and inspiration who touched the lives of all"

Speaking ahead of the funeral, the Reverend Jayne Lee, of All Saints Church, said: "Beau gave so much in her short life. I think in her six - almost seven years - she achieved far more than most of us will do in a lifetime.

"She brought a whole community together. There were a lot of fund raising, we had fun together, there were lots of laughter. Beau was there geeing everybody up. We have all those memories to help see us through."

Phil Bodmer/BBC Reverend Jayne LeePhil Bodmer/BBC
The Rev Jayne Lee said Beau brought the whole community together

Road closures were put in place between Church Road and Clough Lane until 15:00.

The Solving Kids' Cancer charity said neuroblastoma returns in almost 50% of children and if this happens, fewer than one in 10 will survive.

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