One year after Hereford teenager Daren Loader died as the result of an attack in the city, teenagers gathered in an emotional show of feeling for the popular student.
More than 100 packed into the Great Western Way underpass where Daren was attacked on March 12 last year, and flowers and messages were placed in memory of the 17-year-old.
Relatives and friends travelled from Liverpool, South Wales and Oxford to join a candlelit vigil in the subway.
Andrej Mackevic, aged 27, of no fixed address, faces trial on April 7 on one charge of murder and another of wounding with intent. Virunas Kalasnikovas, aged 23, pleaded guilty to murdering the 17-year-old at an earlier hearing in July.
Said Daren’s friend Jaz Oldham: “We want to say, Daren, we love you lots. We can go to his grave and stand there and talk to him and it’s a nice feeling, but it’s a different feeling here in the subway, this is where it happened.”
Another friend, Katie Evans, said it was important to be at the Saturday night vigil. “If it was anyone else, he would have been here behind us.
“We want to support his family and remember Daren,” she said.
There were tears, and smiles, as those marking this sad anniversary exchanged memories of the former Hereford Academy pupil. His grandmother, Joan Roberts explained that relatives and friends travelled hundreds of miles to join the vigil.
Later, Chinese lanterns released in memory of Daren soared above the city.
Said Daren’s aunt, 28-year-old Sian Hughes: “We have to remember to celebrate the life Daren had, he always struck me as being such a nice teenager, and he had his whole life ahead of him.”
She added: “This has touched the whole community, and everyone here has their own memories of Daren and everyone is using this vigil to reflect on those memories.”
His grandmother said the vigil was organised in response to repeated calls from friends and relatives.
“It’s really comforting to know all these people of all ages cared so much about Daren,” she said.