A FAMILY and community have been devastated after a teenage skateboarding-lover died suddenly from a rare and aggressive form of leukaemia.

Kyle Salmon was only 13 when he died at Birmingham Children's Hospital with his parents Vanessa and Mark at his side on Monday, May 19 - less than three weeks after he became ill.

Around 250 people - including family members, friends and schoolmates from Hanley Castle High - filled St Mary the Virgin Church in Kempsey yesterday for Kyle's funeral.

"He was a very popular lad and a very nice chap," said headteacher Alan Johnston in tribute to Kyle, who lived in Plover's Rise, Kempsey.

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From P1 / n "He was very good-natured and affectionate. He was well liked by both boys and girls.

"He was a peacemaker and would sort of arguments between his mates."

Mr Johnston said Kyle was "into his wheels", being both a fan of skateboarding an eventually cars, with a Mini waiting at home for him work on when he was old enough.

Kyle was also a fan of pop music, said Mr Johnston, and at the funeral Avril Lavigne's Sk8ter Boi was played, as was Ignition by R Kelly and Oasis' Cast No Shadow.

A floral arrangement in the shape of a skateboard was placed on top of his coffin, with a floral footballs in the colours of his favourite team Manchester City inside the hearse.

Mr Johnston said teachers and pupils had been devastated by the news when it was broken to them at a special assembly the day after Kyle's death.

"He will be massively missed," said the headteacher.

Donations and a collection at the funeral will be given to Lower Wick's Angels in Exile youth club.