THE parish church of St Michael and All Angels in Hughenden was filled to overflowing on Monday for the funeral of teenager Amy Ransom.

Amy, of Bryants Bottom Road, Hughenden Valley, died on July 30 when she fell from a mountain path while half way through a four-week adventure holiday to Vietnam with other girls from Wycombe High School in High Wycombe, where she had just completed her first year in the sixth form. She would have been 18 on September 7.

Amy's parents, Derek and Claire, her brother Sam and other relatives were joined by all the girls who had taken part in the three expeditions from the school to Vietnam this summer.

There were also other friends from school and the village, staff from the school, and members of World Challenge Expeditions which organised the Vietnam expedition.

The congregation, at the church in the grounds of Hughenden Manor, was so large that many had to sit in a side chapel of the church, where the service was relayed to them.

The ashes of Amy's brother, Lewis, who died five years ago at the age of 16 in a cycling accident, are interred in the St Michael's graveyard close to the path along which Amy's coffin with its wreaths of orange flowers and white lilies was brought.

The service was conducted by the priest at St Michael's, the Rev Frederick Friend, who also asked the congregation to remember Lewis. Afterwards Amy's body was taken to Amersham Crematorium for a private service attended by her immediate family.

In St Michael's, Linda Cross, a long-time family friend, remembered the girl she had seen grow from baby to confident fun-loving girl and young woman.

John Tucker, head of the sixth form at Wycombe High School, described an unassuming schoolgirl, who was always cheerful, honest and reliable. After recalling Amy, her leadership qualities and her desire to explore new experiences, he quoted passages from The Prophet, by Kahlil Gibran. He read: "You would know the secret of death, but how shall you find it unless you seek it in the heart of life?" He said that Amy was someone who, in the words of the book, 'opened her heart wide to the body of life'.

Mr Friend asked the congregation not to be sad that Amy had died at 17, but rather to remember that living for 17 or 70 years was only a small part of eternity.

Later at Hughenden Village Hall, guests were able to see photographs taken on the Vietnamese trip showing Amy and her friends, painting, cooking and relaxing.

Amy's family have started a trust fund and donations in Amy's memory can be made to 'The Amy Jane Ransom Fund', which will be used to help orphans in Vietnam or Scannappeal; care of Wright Funeral Services, 106 High Street, Great Missenden, HP16 0BE.