SILENCE descended on Easton Square, Portland, as the funeral cortge of Lucy Breakwell, 21, and her 15-year-old sister Catherine wended its way to Easton Methodist Church.

The silence was broken only by the sound of horses' hooves as they pulled the carriages carrying the caskets of the tragic sisters, who were killed when their car crashed into a tree in Easton Lane on their way home from work in the early hours of September 4.

The funeral procession made its way from the Breakwell family home in New Street, led by the girls' brothers Luke, 22, and Matty, 11, and the Rev Christopher Briggs

The girls' parents and close family mourners brought up the rear.

Friends and relatives from Weymouth, Wolverhampton and Birmingham, along with a large number of staff from the Riviera Hotel in Weymouth, where the girls had worked, and staff and pupils from Catherine's school, Royal Manor Arts College, were present among the congregation, which was estimated at more than 500.

Pupils from Catherine's class and friends of Lucy paid emotional tributes to the tragic young women, describing each as 'one in a million' and 'modern-day angels' for their caring, sharing and fun-loving personalities.

In his tribute, Luke said that he had been the guardian of his sisters when they were living, but that: "Now I have two guardian angels watching over me."

In his address, Mr Briggs said: "In their short lives the girls showed love and compassion to everyone they came into contact with and this should spur us on to build a permanent memorial to them by valuing each other, protecting those around us in our communities and resolving to behave with care when we encounter others in life with the consideration that Lucy and Catherine made their hallmark."

After the service, the girls' mum, Karen Breakwell, Lucy's dad, Stephen Rowledge from Wolverhampton and Catherine's dad, Paul Moodie of Weymouth, released two white doves, which Matty kissed before they flew off.

Emotions ran high among the mourners and the many members of the community who had gathered in Easton Square.

As the doves took to the air, Mr Briggs gave a blessing which included the words 'Into the freedom of wind and sunshine, into the dance of the stars and planets, into the wind's breath and the hand of the Starmaker - let them go.'

As the funeral procession made its way to the crematorium, a stop was made by the flower, letter and card-bedecked tree in Easton Lane where the girls had died