Nottingham stab attack victim memorial fund tops £20,000

A fundraising page set up in memory of one of the victims of the Nottingham attacks has raised more than £20,000.

Students Barnaby Webber and Grace O'Malley-Kumar, both 19, and school caretaker Ian Coates, 65 were fatally stabbed on Tuesday.

Now the appeal, set up by friends of Mr Coates based at the fishing club he belonged to, has raised £21,032 towards funeral costs and a memorial.

Michael Ryan, who helped set it up, said the support was "mind blowing".

Mr Coates was a life-long Nottingham Forest Football Club supporter but also a leading member of the Lake Snakes Angling Club.

Less than a week after being started, the fund has attracted donations from across the world but also from Forest players like Steve Cook and Ryan Yates.

Mr Ryan said: "To be fair we did not think it would get like that, it was just a case of doing our bit as a club to help Ian's family out.

"We started off with a target of £1,000 and then raised it a couple of times just with club members [donating].

"Then it has gone ballistic. I have had messages from Chicago, New York and Brazil - it has gone worldwide.

"I put a tweet out and tagged in the Nottingham Forest fans and it has been shared everywhere, I have had so many messages of support."

A man appeared in court on Saturday charged with three counts of murder following the attacks in Nottingham.

Valdo Calocane, 31, is also charged with three counts of attempted murder after three pedestrians - Wayne Birkett, Marcin Gawronski and Sharon Miller - were hit by a van.

A Nottingham University Hospitals (NUH) NHS Trust spokeswoman said on Monday one man remained in hospital in a stable condition and the other two had been discharged.

Mr Calocane has been remanded in custody and is due to appear at Nottingham Crown Court on Tuesday.

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