Strong police presence planned for funeral of death plunge student » Communities » 24dash.com

Unwelcome guests will be asked to leave the funeral of a teenager who was goaded by onlookers moments before he fell to his death from a shopping centre car park, police said today.

There will be a strong police presence at the funeral of 17-year-old Shaun Dykes (pictured) who plunged 60ft to his death from a car park at the Westfield shopping centre in Derby.

Some of the crowd who gathered below as police negotiators tried to coax Shaun down taunted the A-level student with shouts of "Go on then, jump" and "How far can you bounce?".

Mick Creedon, the chief constable of Derbyshire Constabulary, condemned their actions as "totally abhorrent".

Shaun's friends and teachers from Heanor Gate Science College where he was studying maths, business studies and politics, are expected to attend his funeral on Monday.

The service is being held at the Baptist Chapel in his home village of Kilburn, Derbyshire, and will begin at 12.30pm.

Derbyshire police said his family wished for the funeral to remain private.

A spokeswoman said: "I can confirm that the family have asked for the media to stay away from all parts of the funeral and wake.

"They have requested that they should be left to mourn in peace."

She added: "There will be a police presence and (unwelcome guests) will be asked to leave."

There was widespread outrage at the comments of onlookers who stopped to watch as police spent three hours on September 27 trying to persuade Shuan not to jump.

Mr Creedon said afterwards: "All my experience and belief in the good in people tells me that the vast majority of the crowd who watched the events unfold were wishing for the best result, hoping that Shaun remained safe and well.

"However, all of us associated with the force see the actions of that small minority who were encouraging Shaun to take his own life as totally abhorrent.

"It disgusts me to think of their motivation and their lack of compassion towards a fellow human being obviously in distress."

Shaun's headteacher Rob Howard said: "One student told me he could not believe people place such little value on life."