Crowds are expected to pay last respects to Rhys Jones · 2007-09-06 15:21
Last night, Rhys Jones' parents, Melanie and Stephen, issued a public invitation to all those who had been affected by their son's death to attend his funeral service. They also asked well-wishers to wear brightly-coloured clothes or football strips in his memory.
Hundreds of people will today pack into Liverpool's Anglican Cathedral to pay their last respects to murdered Rhys Jones. It is expected the cathedral, which holds a congregation of 1,000, will be full and there will be a heavy police presence.
Well-wishers from across the city will unite in grief at the funeral of the 11-year-old schoolboy who was shot dead by a teenage gunman two weeks ago in Croxteth Park.
Crowds are expected to line Hope Street for the 2pm service, not only in support of Rhys's family and friends, but in condemnation of the escalating gun and gang culture in certain parts of the city.
In attendance will be pupils and staff of Rhys's school, Broad Square Primary, which will be closed for the day to allow the youngsters and teachers to attend the service.
His former headteacher, Elaine Spencer, announced that Broad Square's new playground would be named in Rhys's honour.
She added that a planned school football tournament would be named the Rhys Jones Trophy, Liverpool Daily Post reported.
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