THE “heartbroken and tormented” family of Poole six-year-old Chris Hall came together on Friday, September 10, to remember the bright and loving boy who was stolen from them.

Just two days after he should have turned seven, Little Chris’s tiny white coffin was laid to rest at Bournemouth North cemetery. Mourners clutching teddy bears packed into the emotional service to hear Chris’s uncle Martin tell how the family were still struggling to understand or find a reason why their treasured youngster was found dead alongside his dad, also called Chris, at their Parkstone home in August.

They had marked Chris’s seventh birthday on Wednesday with a trip to Pizza Hut, one of his favourite places, he said. Chris, nicknamed Loy, had wanted to be a fireman and adored the TV superhero Ben 10.

But the cheeky little boy had been oblivious to his own superpowers to light up a room, cope with his diabetes and know when to be silly or kind. The family drew strength from thinking of Chris achieving his dreams “in his New World” and remembering the good times, he added.

Mum Rachel Wild sobbed as a photo slideshow of her son’s short life played to Eva Cassidy’s Somewhere Over the Rainbow, before Chris’s sister Lauren paid a tearful tribute to her loveable little brother who couldn’t say the letter R and was always ready with a hug.

Staff from Chris’s school, Courthill, brought a huge teddy bear covered with tags written by teachers and school friends.

A version of Leonard Cohen’s Hallelujah, the Ben 10 theme tune and Owl City’s Fireflies were also played.

Donations should be made to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Fund or Pop4diabetes, through justgiving.com/loy.

The funeral of Chris Hall, aged 52, took place on Thursday, September 9, at an undisclosed location. Causes of death have yet to be established.