FAMILY and friends packed out Malvern's Christ Church to say their goodbyes to Chris Johnson, the tragic teenager found dead in his prison cell.

Around 200 people attended an emotional funeral service on Tuesday, April 10, followed by a committal at Great Malvern Cemetery.

19-year-old Mr Johnson, a father-of-three, was found hanging dead at HMP Brinsford, near Wolverhampton, on Friday, March 23 while awaiting sentence for minor burglary and driving offences.

His father, also named Chris, said it was a relief for the family to be able to say their goodbyes.

"We were glad to have the chance to be able to celebrate Chris' life, and to say a proper goodbye," he said. "But it was the hardest day I have ever known, and I would never want to go through that again. The whole family was distraught the moment the coffin came into view."

Mr Johnson's girlfriend Lisa Martin, 21, and their children Leila, five, Chris, two-and-a-half, and Kaydee, eight weeks, all attended the service, which opened with one of Mr Johnson's favourite songs, Islands in the Stream' by Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton.

Leila and her mother read a poem in memory of Mr Johnson, and his mother Maxine chose the song In Gods Hands' by Nelly Furtado.

Mr Johnson snr thanked all those who attended the service, of left flowers or donations, which will go to Mr Johnson's children.

The family believe Mr Johnson had been bullied during his time in custody, and he was having assessments and cell checks three-times-a-day.

They are awaiting the results of an investigation by the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman , and Mr Johnson said it would be very difficult to get back to normal until they had the discovered the exact circumstances behind his son's death.

"We are taking things day by day at the moment, but hopefully it will get easier and things will be sorted out over time," he said. "For us a lot hinges on finding out exactly how this could happen."

The Home Office told the Gazette it had agreed to pay for the costs of the funeral.