First bomb victim's funeral held

Shahara Islam's family said she was 'a beautiful, young woman'

The first funeral for a victim of the London bombings has been held.

Shahara Islam, 20, from Plaistow, east London, was buried at a private ceremony on Friday afternoon.

Prayers were said for the bank cashier, who was thought to have died in the bus blast in Tavistock Square, at the east London mosque in Whitechapel.

In a statement Shahara's family called her a "beautiful, young woman" who happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.

The statement also said: "Today our dear daughter, cause of our joy and light of our eyes - our Shahara is returning to her Lord - an innocent and blood-stained martyr.

We are not finding it easy to come to terms with our immeasurable loss, our sorrow, our grief Family statement

"She was an Eastender, a Londoner and British, but above all, a true Muslim and proud to be so.

"The flame of her life has been cruelly extinguished from this beautiful young woman in her prime, who had the whole world ahead of her.

"We are not finding it easy to come to terms with our immeasurable loss, our sorrow, our grief."

The family also said their thoughts were with those who had lost friends and relatives in last week's attacks.