HUNDREDS of mourners packed a north London church today for the funeral of Oxford United academy player Godwin Lawson.

More than 500 people joined the service at St Ignatius Catholic Church, Stamford Hill, including Mr Lawson’s family from Ghana and the USA.

They were joined by his teammates from the Oxford United Football Academy, which he joined after winning a two-year scholarship last summer.

Mr Lawson, 17, who moved to Oxford to escape gangs in London, died after being stabbed in the chest in London, in March.

His mother, Yvonne, a teacher paid tribute saying: “He was patient... kind and loving, and life will never be the same without him.”

Moise Avorgah, 19, from Tottenham, London, has been charged with his murder.