THE SOLEMN turn of skaters’ wheels marked the passage of Gary Lane’s short life, as friends followed behind a dignified horse drawn carriage.

More than a dozen of Gary’s friends skated in solidarity behind his loved ones – with only the sound of horse shoes and moving roller blades breaking the silence of the funeral cortege.

The keen biker and stater’s life was tragically stolen when he died after a road collision last Thursday, aged just 23.

His popularity could be seen in the eyes of mourners at his packed funeral ceremony in St Mary’s Church yesterday.

Young men crumpled with the weight of his loss, as they carried his coffin into the church accompanied by the sound of rapper Tupac Shakur’s lyrics: “Things will never be the same.”

Gary has left behind his children Shayla and Kai and their mother Sammy as well as his mother Anita, father Ernie, brother Paul and sisters Tracy, Sarah, Joanne and Chrissy.

Sammy captured her love for Gary in a poem, which was read out by his sister Joanne: “We went through it all, you and me, two become four and made our family, now it’s just three and seems there is no hope, but I know you will give me the strength to cope...

“Now we are left with holes in our hearts, I can’t believe we will be forever apart, I wish I’d wake up and it wouldn’t be real, this is one emotion I never wanted to feel.”

Rev Hugh Anscombe told the congregation that although Gary’s life on earth was cut tragically short, they would be reunited with him again.

“You should be comforted by the fact that you will see him again,” he said. “He is in a place of light, happiness and peace.”

Sister Joanne remembered her brother’s sparkling personality, describing him as invincible and comparing him to a precious diamond.

“He had to go through some very hard times before he and others could see who he really was,” she said.

“He is a symbol to show anyone that you can mess up and still come back. “Gary, you will never know how much of an inspiration you are.

“You have left us like all the greats – tragically.

“You were our life, now you are our legacy, guaranteed.”

As Gary’s coffin was carried out of the church, to be taken to Kingsdown Crematorium in the cold October sun, his friends and family gave him one last present – a roaring round of applause.