Hundreds turn out to pay tribute to tragic Cole Cooper in emotional vigil as heartbroken family address crowd
Cole's family and friends also let off flares and bubbles, and a singer belted out some of his favourite songs
'YOU WILL NEVER BE FORGOTTEN'
'YOU WILL NEVER BE FORGOTTEN' Hundreds turn out to pay tribute to tragic Cole Cooper in emotional vigil as heartbroken family address crowd
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HUNDREDS of friends and family of tragic teen Cole Cooper have paid tribute to him at an emotional vigil.
The 19-year-old had been missing for four weeks after disappearing from Banknock, near Falkirk, at the start of last month, and his body was discovered weeks later.
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Cole Cooper's body was found in the woods in Banknock on Friday, June 6
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Cole's mother, Wendy Stewart, held a flare in his honour at the vigil
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His family and friends came together to share memories
Credit: PA
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Over 300 people attended the vigil
Last night, around 300 people attended the arranged vigil in Banknock – near where his body was discovered.
During the hour-long vigil, family members and pals of Cole came together to sing songs and share memories.
Cole's nine-year-old sister, Casia, choked back tears as she paid tribute to her brother.
She said: 'To start off, we will all miss you so much and you will never be forgotten.
'We all love you so much. I will never forget your silly laugh and your hugs.
'Your hugs were so special, and I will never forget them.
We will all miss you so much and you will never be forgotten. We all love you so much... Your hugs were so special, and I will never forget them
Casia
'When I was in my room crying you would come in and see me and when you left I would always be laughing.
'I love you so much, and it will be different without you, but I love you.'
His brother, Connor Cooper, also spoke.
The 22-year-old said: 'I would like to thank everyone who helped with the search for my young brother.
Mum of missing Scots teen Cole Cooper, 19, reveals living 'nightmare' in heartbreaking interview over his disappearance
'Cole is one of the most loving and caring boys, He always spoke so highly of the folk he cared about and would go above and beyond for them.
'There are so many memories. We were typical brothers who would wrestle and throw in a couple of WWE finishers.
'On one of my last calls with him, he was looking for help with his invoices, and it finished up with him wanting to sue the taxman. I would have loved to have seen that in court.
'I have had a wonderful 19 years of being his older brother, and the next handful of years are not going to be easy. But we will never forget Cole.
'I hope you are at peace now, and we will continue to fight for answers.'
When I was in my room crying you would come in and see me and when you left I would always be laughing. I love you so much
Casia
Cole's family and friends also let off flares and bubbles and a singer belted out some of his favourite songs.
Following his disappearance, a major search was launched to find Cole, with specialist units, drones, divers and helicopters all called in.
But sadly, his body was found in the woods in Banknock near Kilsyth Road on Friday, June 6.
Cole's death is being treated as "unexplained" and extensive enquiries are ongoing to establish the full circumstances.
Detectives are continuing to piece together Cole's last movements, with CCTV reviews and house-to-house enquiries continuing this weekend.
I have had a wonderful 19 years of being his older brother, and the next handful of years are not going to be easy. But we will never forget Cole
Connor
He was seen on CCTV around 6am on Sunday, 4 May, on Cumbernauld Road in Longcroft.
A witness reported seeing him around 8.45pm on Wednesday, May 7, on Glasgow Road, at the junction with Cumbernauld Road in Longcroft.
Officers say establishing Cole's last movements is "a priority.'
Chief Inspector Alex Hatrick said: "My thoughts are with Cole's family and friends at this time and officers will continue to offer them support.
"As our enquiries progress, we are ensuring the family is kept informed with all aspects of the investigation.
"A dedicated team of detectives is working to piece together Cole's movements leading up to his death.
"Again, I would urge people to think back and please contact police with any information, no matter how small it might seem."
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The family spoke to the huge crowd
Credit: PA
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Cole's brother Connor said the family will continue to fight for answers
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