HUNDREDS of mourners paid their last respects to the Ribble Valley cousins who lost their lives after a car crash two weeks ago.

Up to 200 people stood outside St Mary's Church, Gisburn, listening to the service on loud speakers, while hundreds more were inside the church to say their final farewells to Samuel Lund, 19, and James Dewhurst, 16.

The teenagers, both from Rimington, died after the Peugeot 205 that Samuel was driving struck a tree in Rimington Lane, near Gisburn, and overturned, on January 13.

James was pronounced dead at the scene, and Samuel died from his injuries five days later in the Royal Blackburn Hospital.

At the funeral, Samuel's stock car was parked outside the church gates as a sign of his love for stock car racing, while two ferrets and a bird of prey were carried alongside the coffins as a mark of James's enthusiasm for game shooting and countryside pursuits.

The coffins were carried in to the church to the song "Castles in the Sky" by Ian Van Dahl, one of the cousins' favourite tracks.

In a joint eulogy, their fathers, John Lund and Michael Dewhurst, paid tribute to their sons, who grew up together and were very well liked in the local community.

They said: "They were close and best friends, what a grand pair of lads. They were strong characters.

"The tributes from close friends only served to reinforce what strong personalities they both were. Maybe it is that only the good die young."

Sam had recently enjoyed a successful first season in stock car racing, following in the footsteps of his father who is a well-known stock car racing driver. He was also heavily involved working on the family farm.

Bricklaying apprentice and Accrington and Rossendale College student James enjoyed poultry keeping, hawking, game keeping, and outdoor pursuits, a passion that saw two gamekeepers, who had nurtured this enthusiasm, flank the coffin as it entered the church grounds.

The Rev Eric Kyte acknowledged their love of the countryside, and the role their friends had in providing support for the grieving families.

Mr Kyte said: "The outdoors ran through the lives of Sam and James. After their deaths it would have been easy to stay quiet, but their friends came and offered their support, their tears and their love."