TRIBUTES were paid to Paris attacks victim Nick Alexander at a poignant funeral service today.
More than 250 people attended the service at the village’s St Andrew’s Church, Weeley, where Nick had been an altar boy.
Nick, 35, who lived in the village, was shot dead when the Bataclan concert hall was stormed by terrorists on November 13.
He was working as the merchandise manager for American rock band Eagles of Death Metal when the gunmen struck, killing 89 at the music venue and more than 130 across the city.
Nick grew up in Clacton Road, Weeley, where his parents Barry and Sheelagh and sister Zoe still live.
The family led mourners at the service before a private family burial.
Nick’s coffin arrived in a silver hearse and was surrounded by white flowers in the shape of a musical note.
The funeral procession included six scooters from the Vespa Club of Britain, who wanted to pay their respects after reading that Nick had been helping his dad to restore a vintage scooter.
The service included the songs Across the Universe by The Beatles and You Give A Little Love by Paul Williams, as well as a reading from The Little Prince.
Parish council chairman Peter Dumsday, who had known Nick since he was a boy, attended the service along with his wife Pamela.
He said: “It wasn’t a sombre service. There were tears, but there was laughter and a lot of memories.
“When Nick’s school friend Taz Khan spoke, who had known him all her life, everybody was laughing.
“It was an emotional atmosphere.
“If Nick had been in the church service, he would have been selling raffle tickets.
“He was a nice young man, there wasn’t a nasty bone in his body.
“Once he started work he was away a lot, but he would always be home for Christmas.
“The funeral service was a fitting tribute to him.”
Nick went to school at St James’s Primary, in Colchester, and Colchester Royal Grammar School before reading English at Liverpool University, where he went on to study a masters in science fiction.
He had lived in Weeley all his life until he went to university.
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