A POPULAR Birmingham teenager found dead by his father beneath a motorway flyover was remembered as “one of life’s truly brilliant people”.

More than 250 mourners filled Kingstanding’s Christ The King Church today for 19-year-old Thomas Healy’s funeral.

Floral tributes in the colours of his beloved Aston Villa, along with flowers spelling out “brother” and “Brummie”, were among those taken to the church.

His mother and father, June and John, led well-wishers into the service before emotional tributes were paid by family members, and school and university friends.

Lucy McDonald, a Loughborough University friend of geography student Thomas, said: “He was one of life’s truly brilliant people.

“We knew him simply as Brummie. You would never hear a bad word said about him. He was a credit to John and June and the rest of his family.”

She added: “Losing Tom is like losing a part of me.

“He was funny, kind, caring and thoughtful. He chose not just to be a friend, but a best friend and he wasn’t just one of the guys, but one of the girls, too.”

Thomas, who had a sister Carla, 27, and brother Steven, 26, was also remembered by cousin Sam Lloyd as “an incredible little boy”.

She broke down as she went on: “If Thomas was here today he would say: ‘Don’t let life get you down.”