Harvey Parker: Crowd fundraiser in memory of student raises £70,000

The money raised will help young queer support groups

About £70,000 has been raised in memory of student Harvey Parker, whose body was pulled from the River Thames.

The 20-year-old, from Lambeth, south London, was last seen leaving Heaven nightclub by Charing Cross station, in the early hours of 17 December.

His body was found on Tuesday by the Met Police's Marine Support Unit. His death is being treated as unexplained.

Mr Parker's friends and family said they had set up the crowd fundraiser "for people like Harvey".

"Money raised will go to young queer support groups, neurodiverse and gender-diverse young people who would benefit from emotional or mental health support, and help support talented musicians from under-represented communities," they said.

'Our beautiful Harvey'

"We want to send our thanks to everyone who can help us to support these causes, as a way to not only celebrate Harvey's life but to keep the memory of our beautiful Harvey alive."

Mr Parker's body was discovered in the Thames near to Embankment, Westminster.

The day before the University of York student went missing he had spent the afternoon at an escape room with his family, before heading off to see a music concert in Brixton. He then went to the nightclub at about midnight.

Images released on Tuesday showed him on Craven Street, before he walked south towards Embankment.