MORE than 200 people turned out to pay their last respects to an "exuberant" Abberley man whose ashes were placed in 31 fireworks and shot into the night sky.

The event, last Saturday, was held in tribute to fun-loving Matthew Male, who died, aged 31, when his car collided with a tree on the A443 in Hallow.

His parents, David and Pam Male, organised the memorial event at the Bell Inn in Pensax, which saw a series of rockets launched into the sky - one for every year of his life.

They believed it provided the perfect tribute to their eldest son, who lived life to the full and was an avid fireworks enthusiast. They both also felt he would have been happy to see so many friends and family members turn out.

Mrs Male, 58, of Catterbutts, Abberley, said: "The night was a great success, with friends coming from nearby and others from as far away as Wales and Newcastle Upon Tyne .

"The crowd was quite quiet when we let off the first couple of fireworks but, after a while, people were laughing and cheering. Matthew would have absolutely loved it and have been touched so many friends and family turned out to celebrate his life."

Matthew, a systems analyst, lived with his parents and leaves behind two younger brothers, Tom and Robert. He had intended to emigrate to Australia later this year but his life was cut short when his blue Rover 825SD left the road in the early hours of the morning of Saturday, January 7.

A humanist funeral ceremony was held at Worcester Crematorium last month and donations were collected in lieu of flowers. The proceeds will now pay for a memorial bench and an oak tree, which will be planted on Abberley's village green on Monday, February 27.

Mrs Male, who described her son as "exuberant and a practical joker," added: "The event was most gratifying and it was clear to see how much Matthew meant to so many people. Again, we'd like to thank everyone for their kind help and support."