DRUG-shaped flowers were today surrounding the coffin of a banned driver killed in a road crash.

The bizarre floral tributes for Barry Tyrie include ecstasy, acid tabs and a cannabis joint, while dance music was being played at the service.

A bunny logo from adult magazine Playboy is also among the hundreds of pounds-worth of flowers bought for the funeral service of Tyrie, of Whalley Road, Clayton-le-Moors, who died when a high-powered Sierra he was driving smashed into a bus.

But his family today insisted the 21-year-old, known as Basil, had never dabbled with drugs.

A relative, who did not want to be named, said: "He never touched drugs. We just decided to get them in those shapes because he was a young man and they are the sort of things young people know about. We don't think there's anything wrong with the flowers. Just because they're drug-shaped doesn't mean he was into them. He was just a boy and young boys know all about E's and acid these days."

Florist Alan Featherstone, who runs a stall on the Five Day Market in Blackburn, said he had no problem with arranging the tributes, which included a bright yellow 'smiley' face symbolising an acid tab. "Business is business. In this job you get all sorts of strange requests and it's not for me to turn families away."

Wife Jan said: "I did feel strange about doing the drug shapes because it's not quite right, but it's not up to me to judge."

The funeral service for Tyrie, a traveller, was taking place at All Saints Church, Clayton-le-Moors, before cremation at Dill Hall cemetery.

Cannon Philip Dearden said: "In the eyes of God, that's what Mr Tyrie represented and so be it."

He died along with Lesley Robert Newbold, 19, after they were spotted by police acting suspiciously near a house in Longridge. The car later crashed in Rishton after leaving the house at high speed.

The opening of an inquest was told that a three-foot long machete was later found in the car. Two 17-year-olds have since been reported for burglary

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