Horse-drawn carriage to carry Pearl to her final resting place

LITTLE Pearl Melody Black will be laid to rest tomorrow with a horse-drawn carriage parade from her home.

The family of the one-year-old, who died when a wall collapsed after a car rolled down a driveway, said that Pearl would begin her journey from her home in Heolgerrig to a service at Jerusalem Baptist Church by a white horse-drawn carriage, concluding at Llwydcoed crematorium.

Her family said that everybody is welcome to pay their respects to Pearl, all they request is that you wear black, with pink roses and pearls in her memory.

The details of Pearl’s funeral come as a group of bikers announced that they will ride through the Valleys to raise money for Pearl’s family.

Dozens of riders are to set off from Merthyr Tydfil to raise money for the family, while a separate fund to support the family has raised almost £10,000.

Pearl, the daughter of tattoo artist Paul Black, who appeared on TV talent show The Voice, died last Sunday after a Range Rover rolled across a road and demolished a wall which fell on to her at an address in Heolgerrig, Merthyr Tydfil.

Dad of five Wesley Beynon, 31, from Merthyr Tydfil, said: “We are friendly with Pearl’s dad Paul as he’s a fellow biker.

“It is such a traumatic time and we thought it would be nice to pull together.

“We thought that it could be difficult financially and they have obviously got enough strain and stress, and helping to raise a little bit of money means it is something less they have to worry about.

“I was devastated when I heard the news about Pearl. I have got a little girl of my own so it broke my heart.

“I’ve got a them.”

A mechanic and co-owner of BeyPro motorbike company, Wesley added: “We just ask for whatever people can afford, if it’s £1 or £20.

“Then once we’ve had all the money in we count it out on Facebook Live and then it’ll all go straight to the family.”

Wesley organised the event with his partner Marrie Prosser, who coowns BeyPro, and friends Paul Davies and Luke Chambers, the uncle of Mia Chambers who is battling an aggressive form of cancer.

The bikers plan to meet at The College, Merthyr Tydfil, on September 3 at around 10am and leave at about 10.15am to ride through the Brecon Beacons “whatever the weather”.

Wesley, who has known Pearl’s dad for around three years, said attempts had been made to contact Pearl’s family to notify them of the bike ride.

A separate crowdfunding page has raised close to £9,000 in five days lot of empathy for from hundreds of donations to help Pearl’s family.

On Thursday at Aberdare Coroner’s Court an inquest opened into Pearl’s death and heard that the automatic transmission of the Range Rover, which was on a driveway in Beechwood Drive in the village, was believed to be in park at the time.

Coroner’s officer Gareth Heatley said: “The vehicle had been left parked insecure, with the automatic transmission in park and the handbrake fully applied.

“As the vehicle gained momentum down the driveway it has travelled across the road and on to the footpath opposite, demolishing the boundary wall. “That same wall has collapsed. “Tragically it fell on to one-yearold Pearl, who has been walking on the footpath, causing crush injuries, I am told.”

The court heard paramedics attended and Pearl was airlifted to Prince Charles Hospital in Merthyr Tydfil, where she died a short time later.

Mr Heatley said Pearl’s father Paul Black identified her body the same day and a post-mortem examination was carried out on Wednesday.

He added: “The cause of death has yet to be ascertained.”

Coroner Andrew Barkley adjourned the inquest until October 4.