Nottingham attacks: The victims

Grace O'Malley-Kumar and Barnaby Webber were two gifted students who excelled at sport, while Ian Coates was a popular school caretaker who always went the extra mile. All three were stabbed to death in the horror and chaos that unfolded on the streets of Nottingham.

Ms O'Malley-Kumar, 19, was studying medicine at the University of Nottingham. The first-year student volunteered for the national vaccination programme during the pandemic and took on work placements in a GP surgery.

Mr Webber, also 19, was a history student at Nottingham, with a particular interest in US and China geopolitics. His tutors said he was an energetic student, "fun, friendly, and full of life in his seminars".

Both were talented athletes.

Ms O'Malley-Kumar was a member of the England U16 and U18 hockey squads, as well as playing for Southgate Hockey Club and Woodford Wells Cricket Club in London. Her team-mates said she was "fun, friendly and brilliant".

Mr Webber, from Taunton, Somerset, was a "key member" of Bishops Hull Cricket Club and had been selected for the university team. He also played hockey and rugby. His family said he was a "beautiful, brilliant, bright young man".

Mr Coates, who was 65, was the site manager at Nottingham's Huntingdon Academy. The school said he did all he could "for the benefit of our children" and would be greatly missed.

Tributes have been pouring in for all three victims, and a vigil was held in Nottingham city centre on Thursday.

Mr Webber's parents David and Emma Webber and younger brother Charlie said he was "at the start of his journey into adulthood and was developing into a wonderful young man".

"Complete devastation is not enough to describe our pain," they said.

"Barnaby Philip John Webber was a beautiful, brilliant, bright young man, with everything in life to look forward to.

"A talented and passionate cricketer, who was over the moon to have made selection to his university cricket team.

"As parents we are enormously proud of everything he achieved and all the plans he had made.

"His brother is bereft beyond belief, and at this time we ask for privacy as a family to be allowed time to process and grieve."

At Thursday's vigil, Mr Webber's mother Emma said her son was "more than a victim", and spoke about his love of Nottingham and the job he dreamed of carrying out in adult life.

"He was obsessed with aeroplanes and he still carried a dream of being a pilot in the RAF one day," she said.

Ex-England cricket captain Michael Vaughan also paid tribute to Mr Webber, saying he was a "young cricketer gone far too soon".

Taunton-based Bishops Hull Cricket Club have asked people to lay flowers and pay their respects to their "dear friend" at the ground.

Mr Webber, who was also in the Combined Cadet Forces, was a former Taunton School pupil.

Staff and students there said they had been "heartbroken by the recent, tragic news".

"Barnaby joined us in the nursery and studied here all the way through to the end of the sixth form, leaving just last year," the school said.

"In his long association with the school, he touched the lives of many staff, pupils and parents and his loss will be very difficult to come to terms with. He was a much-loved, kind and engaging character.

"That a young man of such promise should lose his life in these circumstances is utterly devastating.

"We send our love and deepest condolences to his family. We continue to do all we can to support them and all in our community affected by these events.

"When the time comes, we will find a fitting way in which to remember Barnaby and his special contribution to our school."

Ms O'Malley-Kumar's family said she was "an adored daughter and sister".

Her parents and brother James said: "She was truly a wonderful and beautiful young lady.

"As parents, words cannot explain our complete and utter devastation. She will be so dearly missed.

"We were so incredibly proud of her achievements and what a lovely person she was.

"She was resilient and wise beyond her years."

Her mother Sinead told the crowd at the vigil in Nottingham that her daughter "was a treasure, an adored child".

"My beautiful baby girl, she wasn't just beautiful on the outside, you must have seen her pictures, she was so beautiful on the inside," she said.

"She wanted very few things in life, she wanted to be a doctor, she wanted to play hockey with her pals, she wanted to have fun."

Ms O'Malley-Kumar was a pupil at Bancroft's School in north-east London before heading to university.

The school said: "We are desperately shocked and saddened by Grace's sudden death in these truly terrible circumstances.

"She left Bancroft's only last year and was a hugely important part of our community."

Ms O'Malley-Kumar was "an immensely gifted and dedicated scholar and sportswoman" who excelled in cricket and hockey.

England Hockey said it was "deeply saddened" by her death, while Southgate Hockey Club described her as a "huge talent and much-loved member" of the U18s and W1s.

The London-based team tweeted: "We are shocked and devastated by the news, our thoughts and sincere condolences are with Grace's family, friends and teammates."

Woodford Wells Cricket Club in London described her as "fun, friendly and brilliant".

The club said she was a former Wells Baby Belles captain, adding she was a "fiercely competitive, talented and dedicated cricketer and hockey player".

Essex Cricket said Ms O'Malley-Kumar played for the county side between 2015 and 2019.

She captained the team during her time at the club and was said to be "highly talented with the bat and ball".

She was "a respected captain and awesome team-mate", Essex Women added.

A minute's silence was observed by cricketers in Chelmsford earlier ahead of the County Championship match between Essex and Somerset.

The flag at the ground has been lowered to half mast and players are wearing black armbands in memory of Mr Webber and Ms O'Malley-Kumar.

Shearer West, University of Nottingham Vice-Chancellor, said the university was supporting both families.

She said: "It is hard to find the words to express the shock and grief felt across our institution at the senseless loss of two first year students who have had their bright futures brutally curtailed by a seemingly random act of violence."

Mr Coates's body was found in Magdala Road, close to the school where he worked.

His sons James and Lee said their father had been four months away from retirement but "was still grafting".

Lee said his father's death had "rocked everyone's world."

His brother Phil tweeted: "I can't sleep trying to understand what's happened, Ian had led a good life but Grace and Barnaby were just starting out, just absolutely numb at the moment."

At Thursday's vigil - where many attendees wore red in honour of Mr Coates' beloved Nottingham Forest - James thanked everybody for the "kind words" about his father.

"It feels like he's touched a lot of hearts over the years, more than what we assumed and knew that he had, so it's been really nice and heartwarming to see the messages," he said.

Huntingdon's head teacher Ross Middleton said: "Ian was a much-loved colleague who always went the extra mile for the benefit of our children and will be greatly missed."

Diana Owen, CEO of LEAD Academy Trust, added: "I am deeply shocked and saddened to hear about this tragic news.

"Ian was a beloved and respected member of the Huntingdon Academy staff.

"My thoughts are with his family and friends during this extremely sad time."

Nottinghamshire Police said a 31-year-old man was Tasered and arrested on suspicion of murder. He remains in custody.

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