A TOWN stood still today (Friday, July 10) to remember one of its own.

PHOTOS: Hundreds turn out to pay respects to 14-year-old Cameron

Shops, houses and classrooms emptied as hundreds poured out onto the streets of Crook, County Durham, to pay their respects to Cameron Gosling.

The 14-year-old died last Sunday in the River Wear near Bishop Auckland, where he had been socialising with friends.

The roar of revving motorbikes and scooters could be heard and felt across the town as more than 200 bikers turned out to escort the funeral procession.

The Northern Echo:

Among them were members of the Tyne and Wear and North-East Bikers Groups, who his dad Sean rides with. He and mam Fiona felt Cameron would have loved the spectacle of so many bikes turning out for him.

In one of the biggest funeral’s the town has witnessed, St Catherine's Church was packed and crowds of mourners gathered outside while bikers wrapped around the church green.

Vicar, The Reverend Geoff Lawes described Cameron as a boy who was ‘bursting with energy and life’ and full of ambitions including learning to drive so he take his family on road trips.

He spoke of a fun loving teenager who was always dancing around at home, making jokes and popular with peers.

The teen was a music fan and loved his scooter, perfecting tricks such as flipping it over his head and landing on top of it as it dropped behind him.

Rev Lawes said whilst his death was tragic, young people cannot be wrapped up in cotton wool.

Lots of relatives and friends, including former classmates from Crook Primary School and Parkside Academy, in Willington, wore personalised hoodies- something he loved to wear.

Friends will gather at a skatepark in Crook later tonight (Friday, July 10) to release balloons and lanterns in his memory.

They hope to raise money for a memorial bench at the park and to support his three brothers.

Emergency services were called to the river on Sunday afternoon after the 14-year-old went missing in the water.

Several of his friends had tried to rescue him before themselves getting into difficulty and having to hold onto overhanging branches for safety.

They were pulled to the river bank but Cameron remained missing and his body was recovered from the water at Paradise Park, Witton Park, later that night.

Cameron is the 15th person to die in the River Wear in two years.