"HE had an aura about him that drew people to him.

"Our gentle giant touched so many lives."

Those were the haunting words of the mother and father of murdered Huddersfield man Nathan Crawley at his funeral yesterday.

More than 100 people from Huddersfield and East Yorkshire attended Nathan's ceremony at Our Lady of Lourdes RC Church on Brackenhall Road in Sheepridge.

Father-of-one Nathan, 29, died after being found unconscious in Hornsea's Hall Garth Park two months ago.

A murder inquiry was launched, which meant Nathan's heartbroken parents, Derek and Sheila, could not bury their son.

He was brought back to Huddersfield, where he had lived with his family on Leeds Road in Bradley, to be buried.

In a statement read out by the priest Derek and Sheila, who have three other children who live in Huddersfield, said: "Those who knew him and loved him will never forget him.

"He had an aura about him that drew people to him.

"Our gentle giant touched so many people.

"Our boy who never wanted to grow old is eternally young."

Nathan's brother, Anthony, who was a coffin bearer, wore a white Manchester United shirt - paying tribute to his brother's love of the club.

Touchingly, the shirt bore his brother's name on the back, above the number one.

The bottom of the shirt said simply: `The best'.

An emotional Anthony said of his brother: "You lived your life to the max. You always did what you wanted to.

"There was no stopping you."

Anthony paid tribute to his brother's love of his baby daughter, Kaitlin. He said: "You were a great dad who loved your darling daughter very much."

He added: "You were my big brother and always will be."

Nathan's coffin was taken from the church as the song Wind Beneath My Wings played softly in the background.

He was buried in Manchester United colours at Kirkheaton Cemetery.

Two Humberside men, aged 17 and 20, have been charged with Nathan's murder.