April funeral for Jade Goody

Jade Goody's funeral will take place at a church near her home early next month, a family spokesman has said.

Jade, who died on Sunday aged 27, after losing her battle with cervical cancer, will be buried following a service at a church in Buckhurst Hill, Essex, on April 4, the spokesman said.

The funeral procession would leave her home in Upshire, Essex, at noon and then make its way to St John's Baptist Church, in Buckhurst Hill, via Loughton.

The spokesman said he was not yet sure where Jade would be buried and details of the service had yet to be finalised.

Before her death she was planning her service, said publicist Max Clifford: "It will be a celebration, but of course there will be a lot of tears."

He said: "Jade wanted a celebration of her life. It will be very much a Jade Goody Production with Jade doing her own thing her own way."

The service will be an "open" affair said friend and photographer Danny Hayward, with opportunities for fans to pay their respects. It's hoped the funeral cortege will pass through nearby Loughton afterwards so local people can see it.

In the coming days Jade's mother will have to choose the music and readings as well as a burial site for her daughter. On Sunday she appealed for privacy for the grieving family. "My beautiful daughter is at peace. Family and friends would like privacy at last," she said to reporters outside Jade's home. Asked by well-wishers how she was coping, she replied: "I'm not."