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Father's tribute to Speight, 'Pied Piper of children's TV'
Amar Singh, Media Correspondent28.04.08
The father of television presenter Mark Speight today paid tribute to him as a Pied Piper figure who took youngsters on a "magical mystery tour" of art.
Oliver Speight told his son's funeral that the 42-year-old had also been a poet, comedian and artist with a special talent for making people laugh.
Colleagues of the children's TV presenter and relatives of his late fiancée, Natasha Collins, were among about 200 mourners at the funeral in his home town of Wolverhampton.
His father told the hour-long service that his family had been deeply moved by the 7,000 emails to the BBC from children expressing sympathy.
Speight was found hanged at Paddington station a fortnight ago. He was said to have been devastated by Ms Collins's death in January at the flat they shared in St John's Wood. She had taken cocaine, sleeping pills and alcohol and was found with 60 per cent burns from bath water.
In an often light-hearted eulogy, Mr Speight praised the BBC and its staff for the compassion, support and understanding it had shown and for its crucial-role in developing his son's skills. Speight's family were joined by several of his TV colleagues including Timmy Mallett and his co-presenter on SMart, Kirsten O'Brien.
At the conclusion of his tribute, the presenter's father said: "You leave here with the adoration of those 7,000 children that emailed the BBC and who miss you today - sleep well in eternity, you have earned your rest."
Speight's coffin was carried to the theme tune of SMart. The vicar of St Michael and All Angels' Church, the Reverend Margaret Mattocks, described the presenter's death as tragic, saying that no amount of tears were enough to express the pain felt by those who knew him.
