Plymouth shooting: Tributes to victims moved

Tributes for five people killed in Plymouth's mass shooting have been moved from nearby roads to be turned into permanent memorials.

Flowers, messages and toys have been left in the Keyham area of the city following the shooting on 12 August.

The relocation of the items follows a consultation with the victims' families and local residents.

Flower petals from bouquets will be pressed and cast in resin, while other donations will be digitally recorded.

Maxine Davison, 51, Stephen Washington, 59, Kate Shepherd, 66, Lee Martyn, 43 and three-year-old Sophie Martyn, were all killed by Jake Davison.

Cards and messages will be kept at the city's museum, The Box, as a historical record, Plymouth City Council said.

Before the preserved tributes are available for the public to see, all the donations will initially be moved to a secure area and photographed.

Louise Blight, collections manager at The Box, said the families of the victims were "paramount" in the process.

"We have to be ready to be able to give them access [to the tributes] when they are ready," she said.

"Some material will be kept in future at The Box as part of a permanent archive, alongside books of condolence which were created in the aftermath, and a photographic archive."

Flowers that have wilted will be turned into compost and used for future green space memorials.

The soft toys are being given to children's charities such as The Teddy Trust, which gives gifts to children experiencing traumatic events.

"We've seen from other similar events that have happened in the UK that it's often the heritage services that have been brought in to help support these operations because as horrific as they are, they are a moment in the city's memory. We've got a job to protect and preserve that," Ms Blight said.

People can leave messages of condolence at The Box between 3 and 17 September.

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