Funeral details for DUP MLA Christopher Salford confirmed

DUP MLA Christopher Stalford, who died suddenly at home at the age of 39, is to be laid to rest following a funeral service in south Belfast on Saturday.

Shock and sadness has been expressed from across political divides since the Assembly deputy speaker’s untimely passing.

Mr Stalford’s funeral service will be held at Ravenhill Presbyterian Church at 2pm on Saturday, a week after his death, with burial afterwards at Ballygowan Free Presbyterian Church graveyard.

A family notice read: “Beloved husband of Laura, devoted daddy of Trinity, Oliver, Cameron and Abigail. Dearly loved son of Karen and loving son-in-law to Marion.

“Will be dearly missed by his loving wife, daughters, sons, and his mother, brother, and sisters, also his grandmother and mother-in-law.

“The Lord is my Shepherd, Psalm 23.”

A DUP party statement confirmed that the funeral service in Ravenhill will be open to all, however, the service in the family home and the committal will be strictly family only.

The statement added: “Laura and the Stalford family thank everyone for their kind messages and lovely words in recent days. They have been so comforting to the family at this incredibly sad time.

“They appreciate the respect for their privacy so far and request that the family continue to be given the space to come to terms with their loss.”

On Monday, warm tributes were paid to Mr Stalford during a special plenary sitting of the Northern Ireland Assembly in his memory.

The DUP politician had been an MLA since 2016, having served previously as a councillor, high sheriff of Belfast and deputy mayor.