An uneasy silence hangs over Leominster in the wake of last week’s murder of local pawnbroker George Black.
Messages left with bunches of flowers outside his shop in Corn Street include one stating the town ‘will never be the same without your Geordie smile’, and another from 41-year-old Mr Black’s parents refers to “My beautiful son; our hearts are broken, our memories are strong”.
Mr Black suffered severe burns in a fire at his house at The Square in Bucknell on December 8, and died in hospital in Liverpool two days later. Sylvia Marie Smith, who is in her 20s, was also badly burned in the incident and is said to be stable in hospital.
Two men appeared before Telford magistrates on Friday charged with murdering Mr Black. Robert William James Field and Gareth Edward Powell, both of The Grove, Shobdon, are jointly charged with murdering Mr Black between December 7 and 11 and arson on December 8 with intent to endanger the life of Sylvia Marie Smith.
Though Mr Black’s death has shocked the town, few are prepared to comment about the businessman. Aquaintance Ray de Vit from Kingsland Car Auctions said: “You knew where you were with George. He called a spade a spade. He was great to me, we always spoke. I liked him. I knew him for about 18 years, he was a regular figure at the auction.”