Alice Gross funeral: Town falls silent for murdered schoolgirl

Traffic stops as locals come out to pay respects to murdererd Alice Gross as hearse passes through Hanwell, west London

Local people pay their respects on a yellow ribbon lined street as the funeral cortege of murdered teenager Alice Gross passes in Hanwell
Local people pay their respects on a yellow ribbon lined street as the funeral cortege of murdered teenager Alice Gross passes in Hanwell Credit: Photo: Dominic Lipinski/PA

A town centre fell silent today for murdered teenager Alice Gross's funeral cortege.

Traffic stopped and locals came out to pay their respects in Hanwell, west London, as the hearse passed through with a police escort.

The 14-year-old's coffin was colourfully decorated with patterns and topped with flowers.

Her family followed in black cars as the funeral procession passed a short distance from the River Brent, where Alice's body was found last month following a huge police search.

Yellow ribbons - once a symbol of hope that Alice would be found alive - festooned trees, railings and traffic signs along the route.

Alice went missing in August, with police taking more than a month to find her body - despite Scotland Yard staging the biggest search operation since the aftermath of the July 7 bombings.

Specialists search teams eventually discovered her remains hidden under logs in the bed of the River Brent, in west London, on September 30.

The prime suspect in her murder, convicted killer Arnis Zalkalns, was then found hanged in nearby Boston Manor Park on October 4, four weeks after he was reported missing to police.

Dozens of bunches of mainly yellow flowers, candles and messages of tribute have been left around a clock tower in the centre of Hanwell, which has become a focus of the community's grief.

Locals lit small candles arranged to spell out "We love you Alice" and watered flowers ahead of the funeral.

One note left at the clock tower said: "You will always be in our hearts."

Mourners light candles in memory of murdered teenager Alice Gross at Hanwell Clock Tower

Mourners light candles in memory of murdered teenager Alice Gross at Hanwell Clock Tower (Dominic Lipinski/PA)

Marion McCarthy, 39, a nurse from nearby Ealing, said the effect on the community had been "horrendous".

She said: "It has brought a sense of shock. We have been united. I'm a mother of a girl the same age (as Alice). It's every parent's worst scenario ever."

Another man, who did not want to be named, said there had been a sense of solidarity when residents joined attempts to find Alice.

He added: "It's just really sad."

Alice, a keen musician, lived in the town with her parents, Rosalind Hodgkiss and Jose Gross, and elder sister, Nina.

Yellow ribbons and bows were spread around the area along with "missing" posters as the community lived in hope that the Brentside High School pupil would be found.

Alice Gross

Alice Gross went missing in August (PA)

Alice was last seen on CCTV walking along the towpath beside the Grand Union Canal near her home on the afternoon of August 28.

Nearly three weeks later, investigators realised that Zalkalns had been cycling behind her.

He had served seven years in prison in his native country for bludgeoning and stabbing his wife Rudite to death.

Police have come under fire for delays in identifying Zalkalns as a suspect. He vanished on September 3 and was reported missing by his family two days later.

It took another two weeks for officers trawling through CCTV to realise that he had been following Alice when she was last seen.

The general labourer, who worked at a building site in Isleworth, west London, is believed to have come to the UK in 2007, but authorities here are thought to have had no record of his murder conviction.

Arnis Zalkalns and Alice Gross

Arnis Zalkalns, left, is the prime suspect in the murder of 14-year-old Alice Gross

A review of how the case was handled is currently being carried out by Scotland Yard.

Inquests into both their deaths have been opened and adjourned, with further tests going on to find out how Alice died.