A BIZARRE ceremony was held in High Wycombe as students paid their last respects to a dead squirrel.

The funeral at Buckinghamshire Chiltern University College campus, in Queen Alexandra Road, on Wednesday, was organised by June Kingsbury, an MA student studying ceramics and glass.

Part of Mrs Kingsbury's work is to cast animals killed by the side of the road, including foxes and squirrels, and she is exhibiting some examples at the college.

She said: "I use the actual bodies of animals to cast ceramics and glass because it emphasises the fragility of life." She added: "This is a permanent reminder of the shape of the, in this case, animal a record of the transient nature of life.

"This is evidence of something lost. The unnoticed consequences of carelessness and violence."

The 46-year-old from Skirmett said ceramics and glass were a good medium because of their associations with archaeological sites and historical significance."

She added: ""I am always really upset when I see an animal killed and it's amazing how many you come across."