A baby girl mauled to death by two Rottweilers has been laid to rest.
A horse-drawn hearse carrying five-month-old Cadey-Lee Deacon's tiny white coffin led the cortege from a family home in Leicester to a nearby cemetery for her funeral.
The little girl was attacked by the guard dogs at The Rocket public house, in the New Parks area of the city, on the afternoon of Saturday, September 23.
It is thought the animals, which have since been destroyed, found their way into the pub's living quarters after a fire door was mistakenly left open.
About 200 mourners gathered in the pouring rain at the city's Gilroes Cemetery and crematorium for a private 20-minute service. Two black horses pulled the glass-sided hearse carrying Cadey-Lee's casket from Braunstone to the Groby Road resting place.
Pink and white flowers and floral tributes surrounded the gold-handled coffin. One wreath spelt the baby's name. One said "daughter". Another read "Pippin".
The hearse led a procession up a tree-lined driveway, through the burial ground, to the area by the cemetery's East Chapel. About 100 people had arrived early to greet the cortege. They then waited as the child's close family entered the chapel. The song If Tomorrow Never Comes, by Ronan Keating, played on the sound system as mourners entered. Police said they were expecting about 200 people at the funeral.
With the chapel seating about 80, many had to stand in the reception area to view the service, led by Father Simon Lumby, on a monitor. Mourners wiped tears from their eyes and others hugged as they emerged from the chapel afterwards. You Raise Me Up, by Westlife, and a duet by Westlife and Diana Ross, played on the speakers.
Most of the goodwill messages left with dozens of floral tributes - including wreaths in the shape of teddy bears, a rocking horse and the gates of heaven - were taken away by the family. One left behind said: "Sleep tight Cadey-Lee, God bless. Night night."
Cadey-Lee had been staying at the pub with her mother, Amy Deacon, and her mother's boyfriend, Lee Burchell, when the tragedy happened. In a statement issued after her death the couple said: "We just cannot believe that Cadey-Lee has gone. She was such a beautiful little girl. We loved her so much and we just cannot accept that something like this could have happened."
