Dalian Atkinson youth fund launched

Dalian's brother, Paul Atkinson, said he still thinks about him "every day"

A fund has been set up in memory of the footballer Dalian Atkinson, who died after being tasered and beaten by a police officer in 2016.

It was launched to coincide what would have been the former Aston Villa and Ipswich star's 56th birthday, and a memorial bench was unveiled in his home town of Telford, Shropshire.

The fund will support young people in the town and Mr Atkinson's brother Paul said he hoped it would "give them some of the chances he didn't have".

He added: "I think it'll make them realise that even coming from a small town like Telford you can reach the stars."

Former team mates turned out to remember him: Tony Daley said: "What a fantastic player he was... on his day he was absolutely unplayable."

They played for Villa together and he added: "Dalian was the joker of the pack, he always used to wind up the players."

Family, friends and former team mates turned up for the bench unveiling

The former Aston Villa striker died after a stand-off outside his father's home in Telford.

Benjamin Monk, the police officer who killed Dalian Atkinson by tasering him to the ground and kicking him in the head was jailed for eight years.

Paul Atkinson said it was good for friends and family to meet again in more cheerful circumstances.

He said he and his brother spent a lot of time together.

"We'd go on holiday together, go out clubbing together, cry together, laugh together," he said.

Almost eight years after his brother's death, he said: "He's still in my mind every day."

But he said he believed the fund would mean "the younger generation are going to know about him as well".

The bench has been set up opposite Trench Pool in Telford

The fund will be administered by the Shropshire Community Foundation.

Trustee Sonia Roberts said the launch would be a "milestone", but it was just the start and 2024 would be "a huge year of events and activities to remember Dalian".

She described him as a "phenomenal" player who also had a lot of challnges.

"He was subject to a lot of harassment as a player," she said.

The fund will aim to improve the lives of young people through sport and Ms Roberts said: "He would have a strong empathy with what we're trying to do."