Hundreds turn out for Solihull lake-death vigil

Hundreds turned up to the vigil

A vigil has been held for four boys who died after falling into a frozen lake.

Hundreds of people, some of them in tears, turned out at Babbs Mill Park in Kingshurst, West Midlands, to pay tribute to the victims.

There was a two-minute silence, tributes were left, then there was applause and a choir sang.

Finlay Butler, 8, his cousin Thomas Stewart, 11, and Jack Johnson, 10, died in hospital on Sunday. Finlay's brother Samuel Butler, 6, died on Wednesday.

People at the vigil brought candles and laid tributes to the boys

A minute's silence was broken by singing from a local choir

Many of those at the vigil said it had caused them think of children in their own families.

One woman said: "I think it's just important to show that even though we're not close to the community itself, that everybody's here for the families that are affected and that we can all come together in such a difficult time."

Lee Wotman, who travelled 140 miles (225km) from Southampton with his wife, said: "We felt we needed to be here to support, and it really does feel that every single person makes a difference to the wider community."

He has friends who live in the area and added: "Everything is tough enough at the moment, isn't it? So it's super important that we all pull together and show that solidarity."

Another, woman, who said she had 10 grandchildren of her own, added: "My heart's breaking for the parents, I just think it's awful."

On Friday a minute's silence was held at a Birmingham City's match, in memory of the boys who died after falling into Babbs Mill Lake

An online fundraising page for the families of the boys has raised more than £66,000.

Tributes to the boys were also paid at football matches on Saturday and on Friday night.

On Monday morning an inquest into the deaths of the four boys is due to open.