Candles were lit at the clock tower in Hanwell this morning as a mark of respect for teenager Alice Gross whose funeral is taking place today.

Well wishers lined the streets of Alice's home town to show support for her devastated family. The 14 year-old disappeared after walking along the Grand Union Canal on August 28 and her body was later recovered from the River Brent, where it had been concealed.

Latvian builder Arnis Zalkalns, who was the prime suspect, was found hanged in Boston Manor Park earlier this month.

Alice, a student at Brentside High School, is being laid to rest at a private ceremony today.

A cortège of just four cars passed through Hanwell, carrying a coffin that was beautifully painted with flowers, tragically reflecting the youth and vitality of a girl taken too soon. It headed down Boston Road at 9am this morning.

Muna Omer, a neighbour of Alice,  came to pay her respects. She said: "My daughter is exactly the same age as Alice and went to her school. She knew her and remembered her to be always singing and laughing. All the children are upset. We are feeling pain for the family."

Ruqiya Mubarak who lives close to where Alice's body was recovered said: "We are mothers. I have a 15 year old daughter. Since Alice disappeared we have been so scared. I was looking for her face on every bus and street before they found her. It broke our hearts. Race, religion, age or class does not matter. The pain is shared."

Esther Elamaran who lives opposite the clock tower in the centre of Hanwell said: "Every day I come home from my night shifts and the police are here guarding the flowers. It has been a long and tragic period and today in a way marks the end of that. The police have worked so hard here. It has been a very frightening time."

Paula Brady from Hanwell, questioned why Arnis Zalkalns, the man suspected of killing Alice, was able to settle in the UK despite having served seven years in jail in Latvia for the murder of his wife Rudite.

She said: "The community is still in shock. But this has brought us all together. I have a daughter and it just doesn't bear thinking about. It could have been any one of our daughters. To be honest the the community is raging that a man like Arnis Zalkalns was living amongst us. I hope to god that now our government will do something that will ensure this never happens again."