TRAGIC Kilwinning dad Andrew Gallacher has been laid to rest with hundreds of mourners turning out to say goodbye.

More than 800 people packed in to the town’s historic Abbey Church to pay their final respects to the popular 20-year-old who died last week.

Andrew’s heartbroken parents Sandra and Andrew joined his girlfriend and mother of his four-month-old daughter, Laura McRonald, at the front of the church amongst the rest of his devastated family and friends.

Both levels of the church were crammed with mourners with each seat and every inch of standing space taken up, a visual testimony to how well loved the local boy known as ‘Andy Gall’ was.

Andrew’s cousin Michelle Morgan read a eulogy in his honour and had the congregation smiling through their tears as she told funny anecdotes of his most mischievous moments.

A tearful Michelle told how Andrew had grown up in the Blacklands before moving to Whtehirst Park and had been an only child and a long awaited baby for parents Sandra, 54, and Andrew, 51.

She said: “Andrew was a much loved son.

"He was a long awaited baby and was seven weeks early which made him even more special.

"He was the apple of his mum Sandra’s and dad, Andrew’s eye.

"He looked up to his dad and followed in his footsteps and became an apprentice plumber with North Ayrshire Council.” Michelle also spoke of how growing up, friends, family and teachers alike fell in love with Andrew’s lovable nature and quick wit.

“Andrew wasn’t a shy boy.

"Friends were entertained by his carry on and he didn’t take anything too seriously.” Michelle also spoke of Andrew’s love of dancing and music and at the beginning of the service mourners were able to take a moment to remember Andrew while Erasure’s ‘A Little Respect’ – one of his favourite songs – played in the background.

The congregation heard how Andrew and girlfriend Laura were destined to be together after first meeting at a Mother and Toddlers group as babies in 1995.

They later reconnected as teenagers when they both attended Kilwinning Academy and met up again in 2011 when they began dating.

They welcomed their baby daughter Olivia in February this year and Michelle told how Andrew instantly took to being a doting dad and loved nothing more than playing with his little girl.

At the end of the service Andrew’s favourite song ‘That’s Life’ by Frank Sinatra was played to the congregation before they headed to Kilwinning cemetery to see him laid to rest.

Outside the church hundreds more people lined the streets, heads bowed, and along Kilwinning Main Street shops and businesses closed their shutters as a mark of respect.

Kilwinning Sports Club flew its flags at half-mast to mark the final journey of the talented footballer who played for three different KSC clubs in his youth, as well as playing for his school and most recently the Revels pub team.

The massive outpouring of grief comes almost two weeks after Andrew first went missing on Friday June 20.

Following his disappearance, the whole Kilwinning community rallied together to search for him, each one of them hoping, praying and believing that Andrew would come home safe.

But tragedy struck on Tuesday, June 24 when Andrew’s body was found in woodlands just off Dubbs Road.

At the end of the church service, Andrew’s family thanked the community for their help and support during the search.