Memorial trees to be planted to mark Covid deaths

The trees will be planted in the Memorial Gardens in Crawley

An avenue of trees is to be planted in a West Sussex town in honour of more than 300 residents who died of Covid-19.

Crawley Borough Council said 22 sweet gum trees would be planted along a path in the town's Memorial Gardens.

Sue Mullins, the council's cabinet member for community engagement and culture, said they would be "a beautiful memorial to those people that we've lost".

An estimated 340 people in the town died because of the virus, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

Work will now start to prepare the ground for planting and the trees are expected to be in place by November.

Memorial benches will also be placed between the trees.

Ms Mullins said: "Hopefully this will become a place for reflection and remembrance in our town – and something [to ensure] we'll never forget those people who went before us."