LITTLE more than two months ago they had gathered to celebrate his wedding.

But family and friends of Darren Harvey came together once again yesterday only this time to say their farewells to the popular 25-year-old.

There was standing room only as family and friends celebrated the life of the newlywed who died in a crash involving a fire engine last month.

More than 120 people attended Darren's funeral, many of them reflecting the family's wishes for mourners to wear an item of blue clothing to reflect Darren's love of Ford cars.

And at several points in the service rounds of applause rang out for Darren around the building at Wessex Vale Crematorium.

As previously reported, the 25-year-old mechanic, of Portsmouth Road, Woolston, died at the scene following the collision with a fire engine returning from an emergency call out on the A337 between Lyndhurst and Brockenhurst at around 11pm on August 22.

The father-of-two had only been married to wife Becki, 22, for seven weeks.

Darren's two young sons Jacob and Dylan Greenhalgh, aged 8 and 6, were among those to attend and short tributes from both boys were read out at the service.

Dylan's said: "I miss his huge cheeky grin that he did when we were sad."

Particularly poignant were drawings done by the two boys attached to a 'DAD' floral tribute and the choice of music chosen as Darren's coffin was brought into the service - I Won't Give Up by Jason Mraz - which was Becki and Darren's wedding song.

The service at Wessex Vale Crematorium reflected on Darren's love of cars with specially chosen themed music including I'm in Love with My Car by Queen and a Ford logo floral tribute on his coffin alongside a large teddy bear.

Paul Hancocks, who led the service in West End, reflected on how little time had passed between Darren and Becki's wedding on July 4 and Darren's death.

"It was one of the most wonderful days of their lives and I really am very very sorry that so many of you have to meet again in such tragic circumstances so soon afterwards," he said.

But he reflected on Darren's popularity across all age groups and described him as a "baby faced cheeky chappy".

"You don't have to have lived a long time to make a big impression and he certainly did that," he added.

He said he was a "hands on dad" and that "the boys were adored by their father".

There were also readings of a poem called Heaven by Emma Jane Rae and a passage from Victor Hugo's novel Les Miserables talking about love, including the line: “The greatest happiness of life is the conviction that we are loved - loved for ourselves, or rather, loved in spite of ourselves.”