Mother's gratitude for strangers' floral tributes to son

Callum Lister died in a road traffic accident when he was eight

A mother has said she was "overwhelmed" when strangers left flowers on a memorial bench to her son.

Julie Spence, from Leeds, visits the bench in Scarborough on the anniversary of her eight-year-old son Callum's death each year.

She said it was heartbreaking not to be able to visit this year because of travel restrictions and appealed for someone to go to the bench for her.

In response the bench has been covered in tributes by people in the town.

She said normally the family would visit the cemetery in Leeds and then get the train to Scarborough and go to the bench, which is in the resort's Peasholm Park.

"We've been doing it for 15 years and it was horrendous really. It's heartbreaking not to do it this year," she said.

Although travel restrictions were eased on the day of the anniversary Julie and her family would have had to have taken public transport to the coast, which people were still being advised not to do.

Julie and her family normally visit the bench every year on the anniversary of Callum's death

Her son Callum Lister was hit by a vehicle on 12 May 2005 and died in hospital the next day.

Julie said she chose Scarborough for a memorial bench as it was a place she and her children knew well and the location for the family's last holiday together before Callum died.

Knowing she could not visit, Julie put out her appeal on a Facebook group hoping one person might visit the bench and just sit for a moment.

The first person to respond to the plea was 20-year-old student Harley Johnson.

"I thought it was quite upsetting and I turned to the person I live with and said 'do you want to make a woman's day and go and put some flowers on a bench?'."

Tributes began with just one bunch of flowers but soon grew to completely cover the bench

He said when he and his friend returned he wanted to do more and thought it would be more meaningful if others did the same.

"So I put a plea on Facebook and it just got shared and shared. It got a really good response.

"I was expecting a couple of bunches of flowers but the outcome was really good and I am really proud of Scarborough."

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Julie was also shocked by the response. "It's been overwhelming - my phone has been constantly pinging," she said.

"I can't believe people who don't know me and never knew Callum would do it, especially at times like these.

"For their help I will be forever grateful."