Thousands pay respects
They had all their lives ahead of them, but today, relatives and friends of three tragic Wolverhampton men were saying their last goodbyes.
Thousands came from all over the country to pay their last respects to 15-year-old Harvinder Singh (right), Satvir Singh, aged 17, and 21-year-old Tajinder Singh.
A sea of mourners, some who had travelled in special buses and coaches to the ceremony, stood in silence as the coffins of the three young friends were brought to the Guru Nanak temple, in Sedgley Street.
The sombre silence was broken only by chants of prayer as the Sikh community united in its grief.
Stewards were on hand to help the masses of mourners who flocked to pay their last respects, and police officers controlled the traffic on the congested roads nearby.
Many tears were shed as, in a single line, the mourners filed past the open coffins to say goodbye to the youngsters for the last time.
The Sikh community and beyond have been left devastated by the deaths, which happened on September 23 when a weekend of fun organised by an Oldbury temple turned to tragedy.
Satvir Singh (right), a cousin of Tajinder, had been born in India and was nicknamed Sati.
His father Balhar Singh moved the family to Wolverhampton for business reasons.
Satvir had just completed his GCSEs at Colton Hills Community School and Tajinder, aged 21, was studying computing with business management at the University of Central England.
His father Gurdeep said he was a "gentleman" who had arrived in England to study only a year ago.
Close friends and relatives paid tribute to the "lively and loving" teenager Harvinder.
Ranjit Jandu, Harvinder's best friend, said: "He was the best friend I have ever had.
"He would do anything for anyone no matter what.
" He loved his family and friends to bits. If ever you were upset or needed to talk he was there for you."
The 15-year-old, who attended Highfields School in Penn with Harvinder, wept as she added: "He was so intelligent and taught me so much." Following this morning's ceremony, mourners travelled to Bushbury Crematorium for the funerals of Harvinder and Satvir.
The young friends were killed two weeks ago when the activity weekend in the Lake District turned to tragedy.
Witnesses told how they "just disappeared" after seemingly walking off a "lethal" hidden underwater ledge into deep icy waters in Ullswater.
Another boy, 15-year-old Gurjant Singh, from Oldbury, was pulled to safety by members of the public who waded into the lake.
He was taken to hospital with hypothermia but his injuries are not believed to be life threatening.
The martial arts fans had been part of a 15-strong group enjoying a two-day trip and were staying in Glenridding, a village overlooking Ullswater.
Friends said the friends had been looking forward to the trip for weeks.
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