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Funeral of fatally stabbed Leo Ross takes place

Eleanor Lawson
BBC News, West Midlands
BBC Mourners gather outside a church for the funeral of Leo Ross. A group of men carry Leo's coffin as they walk towards the church. The coffin has been painted with artwork - it is blue and has items, such as games consoles, on the sides. A vicar - a woman with black hair holding a bible to her chest - stands in the middle of a path, with mourners on either side.BBC
Mourners gathered at Christ Church in Yardley Wood on Wednesday morning to say farewell to 12-year-old Leo

The funeral of 12-year-old schoolboy Leo Ross, who was stabbed to death while walking home from school in Birmingham, has taken place.

Mourners gathered at Christ Church in Yardley Wood on Wednesday morning to say their final farewells.

He was carried into the church in a bright blue painted coffin with artwork, including games consoles, decorating the sides.

Leo's school, Christ Church C of E Secondary Academy in Yardley, closed for the day to allow the school community to pay their respects to the "lovely and bright" pupil.

Family A close-up photo of a boy looking straight at the camera. He has short brown hair and he is wearing a blue hoodie. He is at a ten-pin bowling alley, with lanes and sets of pins visible behind him.Family
Leo Ross was fatally stabbed in the stomach while walking home from school in January

After the funeral, Leo's coffin was placed inside a horse-drawn carriage to be taken to the crematorium.

In a tribute to Leo, his family described him as an "amazing, kind and loving boy".

A white horse-drawn carriage, with two white horses pulling it, holds Leo's coffin, which is painted blue with artwork of games consoles on it.
After the funeral service, Leo was taken to the crematorium in a horse-drawn carriage

Leo was fatally stabbed in the stomach while walking home from school near Scribers Lane in Hall Green on 21 January.

A 14-year-old boy is due to appear at Birmingham Crown Court on 22 April to enter pleas to charges of murder, possessing a bladed article, and four unconnected counts of assault.

Two assault charges relating to police officers were dropped at the end of January.

A close-up on the window of a black hearse showing white and dark blue flowers arranged to say 'brother'. A small framed purple handprint is also visible.
One floral tribute to Leo read "brother"
A close-up of floral wreaths. A large white wreath is in the centre with a school crest on top which says Class of 2023. Red flowers are placed to the left of the wreath with a few red flowers in the middle. Yellow and dark blue flowers are to the right. There is a white note attached to the central wreath with a hand-written note on.
Tributes to Leo were paid by his classmates

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