Published 27th Dec 2008
Aberdeen Press & Journal A BRITISH soldier killed in Afghanistan on Christmas Eve has now been named by the Ministry of Defence.
Published 27th Dec 2008
Glasgow Herald The family of a British soldier killed in Afghanistan last night said his death "creates an irreplaceable loss"
Published 25th Dec 2008
Press Association More than 1,000 people have joined a new internet tribute site to create memorials for dead pets. The website allows owners to create their own page for a pet, including music, photographs and "virtual gifts". GoneTooSoon.org is normally associated with tributes to humans, but turned its attention to the animal kingdom after requests from users. Site creator Terry George said: "I know from personal experience that losing a pet can be a very traumatic experience. My dogs are such an important part of my life. When I lost two of them last year I was devastated, and the loss was very difficult to bear. It's so nice to be able to create an everlasting memorial to them now." The company said there were already 1,300 memorials to pets on the site, including tributes to fish and hamsters as well as dogs and cats. Pages on Pets.GoneTooSoon.org are free to create but "virtual gifts" must be paid for. Tribute sites are one of a number of unusual ways for bereaved owners to remember a pet. Jeanette Hall, a taxidermist from Nevada in the United States, makes pillows and cushions from the animals' bodies. The products have the pet's fur on one side and owner's choice of fabric on the other. And as a hobby, Pam Gardner, of Milton Keynes, Northants spins dog and cat fur into wool so owners can make clothes with the material. In March this year, Beth and Brian Willis from Newcastle had their dead dogs' fur made into two jumpers as a novel way to remember their pets.
Published 9th Dec 2008
Tributes today flooded in from across Wearside in memory of soldier Tony Evans. The Sunderland Royal Marine was killed while providing fire support to comrades under attack in Helmand Province, Afghanistan. The 20-year-old's devastated parents, Tony Evans and Julia Churchill, said they were "very proud of their son and will miss him dearly". An online tribute has been set up by Marine Evans' cousin Danny King. "Tony was the best cousin a lad could ever ask for," said the 16-year-old. "He was always there for everyone and always looked after us all. "He died doing what he loved to do the most and we are all very proud of him."
Published 9th Dec 2008
As tributes flooded in today for a “sporty, popular” teenager fatally injured in a crash her mother was still grappling with the mystery surrounding her final journey. At the very time Emily Knipe, 15, was a passenger in a Vauxhall Corsa van that went off the Beccles Road at Fritton, near Yarmouth and struck a tree her mother Susan believed she was doing her paper round in her home village of Hopton. Police are still trying to piece together the circumstances in which Emily and a 14-year-old girl friend who also had a paper round in the village were being driven towards Belton by a 19-year-old male friend, who it is understood did mobile paper deliveries for the same shop. Acle road police today renewed their appeal for witnesses to the crash, which happened at about 8.30am on Sunday close to the entrance to Cherry Lane Garden Centre. One theory being explored is that the icy road surface may have been a factor in the accident.
Published 25th Nov 2008
HEARTFELT tributes have been paid on an internet memorial site to a former Dearne Valley College student murdered on a night out in Leeds with friends. Messages have been left on the Gone Too Soon website in memory of Kyle Jordan Grand, 18, who died following an assault in the city centre earlier this month. Kyle, of Herringthorpe, was studying for a National Diploma in Public Studies at DVC and a number of students have posted tributes. There are also various photos of the 18-year-old enjoying nights out with friends and the dance track Raindrops - one of his favourites - plays in the background. Kyle's cousin Jamie Smith wrote: "Its not easy explaining how we feel in writing but I just want to say that your going to be missed by a lot of people who loved you with all of their hearts either as family, friend or a partner.
Published 18th Nov 2008
A memorial website to a Derby teenager who was shot dead has been taken down because of of abusive messages. Kadeem Blackwood, 15, was shot in the chest on 11 November in the Sunnyhill area while walking with friends. Founder of GoneTooSoon, Terry George, said the memorial to Kadeem had been removed until further notice. Derbyshire police said the 23-year-old man was arrested on Sunday and was being questioned. The 48-year-old woman and the two men were arrested on Saturday and remain in custody. Michael Hamblett-Sewell, 19, from Derby, has been charged with murder. Three men aged 18, 20 and 23 and a woman, 48, have also been arrested.
Published 18th Nov 2008
A website set up to pay tribute to a murdered teenager is to go live again - just days after it was flooded with insulting messages. The online memorial was set up for Kadeem Blackwood, the Derby teenager shot dead in a park last week. But the page - on memorial site GoneTooSoon - had to be taken down after users posted 230 abusive messages. Residents in the area of Derby where Kadeem was shot said they believed the 15-year-old was a gang member - a claim police have refused to comment on. A number of the messages appeared to be from rival gang members, according to GoneTooSoon founder Terry George. Mr George, who handed them to Derbyshire Police for investigation, said the level of abusive postings for Kadeem was unprecedented for the site. He said: "We have had to remove it because it was causing too much abuse. For it to be up there for any length of time was upsetting for people.
Published 14th Nov 2008
Police hunting the killer of teenager Kadeem Blackwood are investigating sick messages left on his memorial website. GoneTooSoon had to take down the 15-year-old's online memorial after gang members attacked it with shocking images and insults. One message, posted by someone calling themselves Doris Bird, said: "Next time keep your gob shut." Another user, Paul Collins, posted an image of a fiery hell next to the caption: "Kadeem's new home. Nice and warm..." The teenager died from a shot to the chest at close range as he was walking with friends in Derby, and detectives are looking at gang rivalries as part of the investigation.
