Church vigils held in memory of stabbed 12-year-old schoolboy Leo Ross
Simultaneous vigils of prayer for 12-year-old Birmingham schoolboy Leo Ross have taken place at two churches in the Hall Green and Yardley Wood areas of the city.
The two-hour services, held a day after a youth aged 14 was charged with Leo's murder and six unconnected assaults, saw prayers offered at five-minute intervals for Leo, his family and friends.
West Midlands Police confirmed on Saturday that Leo's alleged killer, who cannot be named because of his age, has been remanded into custody to appear at Birmingham Magistrates' Court on Monday, having also been charged with possession of a bladed article.
Sunday's services at Christ Church in Yardley Wood and St Peter's Church in nearby Hall Green took place to allow the churches to 'unite with the whole community to surround Leo and his family and friends with our love and prayers,' according to a social media post issued by St Peter's.
The services offered well-wishers the opportunity to lay flowers and light candles in memory of Leo.
Speaking at a Sunday service held before the vigil of prayer, the vicar of St Peter's, the Revered Canon Martin Stephenson said: 'There is a certain solemnity in our community at this time, after the tragic and appalling killing of Leo Ross.
'Our hearts, and our prayers, our love pours out for his family and friends.'
Leo, a 'lovely and bright' pupil at the Christ Church, Church of England Secondary Academy in Yardley Wood, died in hospital on Tuesday after being stabbed in The Shire Country Park.
The school has confirmed that the boy charged with murder was not among its pupils and has not studied there previously.
Meanwhile, a GoFundMe fundraising page set up by a relative of Leo's foster carers to raise funds for The Daniel Baird Foundation, an anti-knife crime charity, has attracted donations of more than £9,700.
The foundation, set up after Mr Baird, aged 26, was fatally stabbed in the Digbeth area in 2017, works to raise awareness of the importance of having publicly accessible bleeding control packs available.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Wales Online
3 hours ago
- Wales Online
Train passenger plea issued in search for man who vanished a month ago
Train passenger plea issued in search for man who vanished a month ago Police believe William Shine may have travelled to Machynlleth on May 9 A renewed appeal has been issued concerning missing man William Shine from Birmingham. It is believed he travelled to mid Wales in May (Image: West Midlands Police ) A renewed appeal has been made for a man who has been missing for more than a month who police believe may have travelled to a Welsh town. William Shine, from Birmingham, was last seen on May 9 in Harborne and officers from West Midlands Police have been working to find him since. Now, the 41-year-old's family have appealed to the public directly for help finding him. For the latest restaurant news and reviews, sign up to our food and drink newsletter here . In a statement, William's family said: 'We are really worried about William and we want to know that he is safe. "If you have any information that you think may help please do come forward. 'We just want to know that he is alright and for him to return home. Article continues below "William if you are out there and see this please just get in touch and let us know that you are ok.' West Midlands Police say that William left Birmingham on a train travelling in the direction of Wolverhampton and Shrewsbury. They believe he may have travelled to Wales and may have been seen at Machynlleth shortly before 1pm on May 9. Article continues below A spokesperson for the force said: 'We know William was seen on the train to Machynlleth and our officers want to hear from anyone who regularly uses the service and may have seen him on that day, especially between Barmouth and Pwllheli. "If you think you know where William went, or if you saw him during his journey, call 999 immediately quoting PID number 453910.' Join our WhatsApp news community here for the latest breaking news.
Scottish Sun
6 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
Groom, 54, killed after crashing his e-scooter into open car door just 48 hours before his wedding
The bride and groom were set to jet off for their honeymoon today WEDDING HORROR Groom, 54, killed after crashing his e-scooter into open car door just 48 hours before his wedding Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) A GROOM-to-be has sadly been killed after crashing his e-scooter into an open car door a mere two days before his wedding. Scott Catton, 54, was rushed to hospital following the horror crash but tragically died at Nottingham's Queen's Medical Centre on Saturday. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 4 Scott was tragically killed when he collided with an opening car door Credit: SWNS 4 Scott is survived by his young son Credit: SWNS Scott was riding his e-scooter down a street in Top Valley, Nottingham, when he crashed into an opening car door. He was left fatally injured by the crash and sadly passed away in hospital days later despite the best efforts of medics. The collision occurred on Thursday 5, just two days before Scott was due to marry his fiancee Debbie. The couple had planned to leave to Majorca today for their honeymoon. Instead of celebrating his wedding Scott's distraught family are now fundraising to cover funeral expenses. He is survived by his young son who is just 13. Scott's brother in law, Phillip Bates, has set up a GoFundMe which will be used to help cover funeral costs. The fundraiser will also be used to set up a trust for Scott's son. Scott's brother in law described him as the "life and soul of the party." A statement from Scott's devastated family reads: "Today we had to say goodbye to a much loved friend, partner, father, uncle and brother. Tributes pour in for Brit stag do groom who collapsed & died in Benidorm as fiancee says 'I can't believe this is real' "Scott had a traffic accident from which he didn't recover. "I am trying to raise funds to give him the send off that he deserves any remaining funds will be put into trust for his 13 year old son he leaves behind. "Funeral arrangements will be posted in due course. "He was due to marry his partner on Monday 9th June. We are all in deep shock please find it in your hearts to help." 4 Scott bereaved family have set up a fundraiser to help cover funeral costs Credit: SWNS 4 Scott tragically died just two days before his wedding Credit: SWNS So far nearly £5,900 has been raised towards a target of £7,500. Scott, a retired EON adviser, was described by family as a keen boxing and cricket fan. His brother in law, Phillip, 56, said: "It's horrendous. It's never a good time, but this is the worst time though. "He was the life and soul of the party, everyone loved him. "He was a cheeky chap. He was massively into his sports and we both played football. "He played for local teams, and played at veterans level. He loved his cricket and boxing. "He went to Wembley to watch England and he recently went to watch the Eubank vs Benn fight. He was Nottingham Forest mad too." Nottingham Police are probing the incident.
Daily Mirror
7 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
Groom-to-be killed in horror e-scooter crash just 48 hours before his wedding
Scott Catton, 54, collided with a car door that suddenly swung open and was rushed to hospital - but tragically succumbed to his injuries just two days before his wedding A groom-to-be was killed in a devastating e-scooter crash just 48 hours before he was due to marry the love of his life. Scott Catton, 54, was riding through Top Valley, Nottingham, last Thursday (June 6) when he collided with a car door that suddenly swung open. He was rushed to Queen's Medical Centre with broken ribs and a severe brain bleed, but despite doctors' efforts, the father-of-one tragically died from his injuries on Saturday. Scott was set to marry his fiancée Debi on Monday and the couple had planned to fly off to Majorca for their honeymoon the following day. Instead, his family are now facing heartbreak and loss, as they rally around to raise funds for funeral costs and to support Debi and Scott's 13-year-old son. His brother in-law Philip Bates, 56, said: 'He was on his way home and on an electric scooter, someone opened a car door and he just hit it. He broke ribs, his collar bone and had a severe brain bleed. We went straight to the hospital where we spent most of the weekend. 'He was supposed to get married at Arnold Registry Office at 2pm yesterday. They were going to Majorca, they were supposed to fly out today. It's horrendous. It's never a good time, but this is the worst time though. He was the life and soul of the party, everyone loved him. 'He was a cheeky chap. He was massively into his sports and we both played football. He played for local teams, and played at veterans level. He loved his cricket and boxing. He went to Wembley to watch England and he recently went to watch the Eubank vs Benn fight. He was Nottingham Forest mad too. 'Because he wasn't married he's got money himself. To get it released is a long process, so the main aim is to pay for the funeral and take the strain off of his partner and give any money left over to his son. The main reason is to help his son out and give him something.' Philip has now set up a GoFundMe to help cover funeral costs and to set up a trust for retired-EON advisor Scott's son. In a statement, the family said: 'Today (Saturday the 7th of June) we had to say goodbye to a much loved friend, partner, father, uncle and brother. 'Scott had a traffic accident from which he didn't recover. I am trying to raise funds to give him the send off that he deserves any remaining funds will be put into trust for his 13 year old son he leaves behind. Funeral arrangements will be posted in due course. He was due to marry his partner on Monday 9th June. We are all in deep shock please find it in your hearts to help.' More than £5,700 has been raised so far towards a £7,500 target. In response, the family said: 'We are truly humbled and grateful for all your generosity. It just shows how loved Scott was. I will keep the fund raising going to help Scott's son. Massive thanks to everyone who has donated and a special thanks to the Park Tavern and the Oxford public house who are organising fundraising events.' Nottinghamshire Police said officers were investigating the incident but were unable to provide any more information at this stage.
