About 500 mourners pay respects to Ian Tang, 20, at North Walsham funeral

For a young man of just 20 Ian Tang touched an incredible number of lives, and about 500 people attended his funeral at St Nicholas Church in North Walsham.

The City College Norwich student was hoping to begin a veterinary career having studied animal management at Easton and Otley College, as well as previously attending North Walsham High School.

He had gone missing on Sunday, December 10 having left the KA bar in North Walsham at around 2.30am. The community rallied round to search for him and his body was found in Swafield, near North Walsham, at 11.15am on Tuesday, December 12.

All the seats in the church were taken at the funeral service on Friday, January 5 with many people standing at the back.

The vicar, the Revd Paul Cubitt said: 'Ian will never be forgotten by this town now. Through his tragic passing he became real to us. There will only ever be one Ian Tang with his cheeky grin and the look on his face.

'When the message went out he was missing, hundreds of people went to look for him.

'I'm proud to be part of a town where the people are prepared to look for someone when they need to be found.

'There was a sense of numbness when he was found. Hundreds of people came to the church to sign the book of condolence. Ian was part of us and one of us, even though many had not even known him.

'It shocks us that someone as young as Ian is no longer with us. We expect to live into our '80s or '90s, but it's not always the length of your life in years that counts, it's sometimes the quality of those years.'

Mr Tang's sister Amy said the family had been overwhelmed by the support it had received.

She added: 'Ian was a natural born entertainer. He was always making us laugh. He will never be forgotten and will forever be in our hearts.'

The funeral service was followed by private cremation and a wake at Rossis leisure centre in North Walsham.