All over the world, fans of the band Prodigy have come together to pay their respects and say goodbye to Keith Flint, the frontman of the group, who died earlier this month.
Flint, who was 49 years old at the time of his passing, was found in his home in Essex, located to the east of London, back on March 4. Mourners from all over the country, as well as from far-flung countries such as the Netherlands and the Czech Republic, have come to his funeral to pay their respects.
Floral arrangements imported from the United States were also laid outside St Mary's Church in Bocking, where the musician will be laid to rest for the final time at around 1600 GMT.
Essex police confirmed they were expecting "a large number of well-wishers" for the memorial service - especially since Flint's bandmates in The Prodigy implored fans to "raise the roof for Keef".
"Fans are invited to line the procession route, starting at 3pm in Braintree, Essex on Fri 29th March, to pay their final respects & 'raise the roof' for Keef! If anyone wishes to lay flowers or tributes these should be sent to St Mary's church in Bocking, no later than 2pm Friday."
The other members of The Prodigy then added: "The church service will just be for family and close friends, but there will be speakers relaying the ceremony outside the church for everyone to hear."
Speaking to the BBC, several attendees to Flint's funeral paid their respects to the musician, who an inquest heard reportedly died as a result of hanging. Marie Lelicova for example, travelled all the way from Prague to pay her respects, and the 25-year-old explained that the lead singer of the Prodigy was a man she had "loved since she was a child".
"He is part of my life," Lelicova explained. "He is the person who showed me the way to live. I wanted to say goodbye and say thank you." Gary Dring, 35, who comes from Braintree (the same place as Flint lived), wore the singer's outfit from the 1992 video Outer Space to Flint's funeral procession, and paid tribute to the "legend", saying he was "gutted" to learn of the 49-year-old's death.
"Growing up listening to his music got me through good and bad times. It's like losing a mate but that's why we're here today, to give him a good send-off."
In a statement, Essex police warned locals of potential delays.
"The roads will not be closed throughout the course of the procession so as such, we would ask drivers to avoid the area and find alternate routes where possible. The church service at St Mary's will be for family and close friends of Mr Flint. Fans and members of the public are asked to respect the privacy of Mr Flint's loved ones during this difficult time."
Rest in peace, Keith. You will be greatly missed.
