A FORMER teacher of murdered young mother-to-be Claire Wilson described the 21-year-old’s death as “heartbreaking” as she joined her family and scores of friends for her funeral.

Miss Wilson died, along with her unborn daughter, after she was stabbed as she walked to work at a pizza restaurant in Grimsby, North East Lincolnshire.

Yesterday, her partner Adam Kennard, 23, led dozens of mourners who walked behind the cortege as it drove from her family home to Grimsby Crematorium.

The hearse carrying Miss Wilson’s coffin was covered in multi-coloured flowers. More flowers were packed inside the car as well as children’s keepsakes, including a little girl’s dress on a hanger and a small teddy bear.

Mr Kennard carried a single white rose as he watched the cars of the funeral party drive into the crematorium where scores of other mourners – including many young people – were waiting.

He then helped carry the coffin, which was ringed by sunflowers, into the main crematorium building.

Miss Wilson and Mr Kennard knew their first child was going to be a girl and they had decided to call her April.

After the hour-long ceremony, Gwyneth Shuttleworth, Claire’s former head of year at Wintringham School, in Grimsby, said: “It was extremely emotional.

“Claire was such a popular girl. She was vibrant, very strong-willed and very independent.

“She was beautiful.”

ALAN McMULLAN, 53, of Sherwood Road, Grimsby, has appeared in court accused of murdering Miss Wilson.