Mark Speight laid to rest in front of 200 mourners
Mark Speight, the BBC television presenter who tragically killed himself, has been laid to rest at a funeral attended by 200 people in Wolverhampton.
The father of the children's TV presenter, who hung himself after he found his girlfriend Natasha Collins dead in their bath, paid tribute to his son, describing him as a Pied Piper figure who took youngsters on a 'magical mystery tour' of art.
During the hour-long service, Oliver Speight also said that his 42-year-old son had also been a poet, comedian and artist with a special talent for making people laugh and smile.
He said the family had been 'deeply moved' by the support and sympathetic emails that had flooded into the BBC, and also thanked he company for its understanding.
'I cannot thank them enough, they are really part of the family. The BBC together moulded his talent,' Mr Speight said.
And of those who worked with Mark on the show SMar, he said: 'You were all generous with each other.
'Nobody tried to steal the thunder - that was the beauty of SMart.'
In his conclusion, he addressed his son, telling him: 'You leave here with the adoration of those 7,000 children that emailed the BBC and who miss you today - sleep well in eternity, you have earned your rest.'
