School tribute at teacher's funeral

Hundreds of mourners have stood in silent tribute as the funeral cortege of a "one in a million" teacher made a poignant stop-off at his school.

Many pupils taught by Peter Rippington, who was killed in a coach crash in France last month, gathered alongside parents and other well-wishers as the cortege paused briefly in the grounds of Alvechurch Middle School in Worcestershire.

A service of thanksgiving for the life of the popular teacher began around 20 minutes after pupils had paid their respects to the 59-year-old, who worked at the school for more than three decades.

The funeral at Alvechurch's parish church saw at least 500 further mourners join the family of Mr Rippington to hear him described as "a very remarkable man whose life touched hundreds, if not thousands, of other lives for the good".