NI-born Dean of Leicester tells of his city’s anguish at helicopter tragedy

PEOPLE in Leicester are struggling to come to terms with the helicopter crash that claimed the lives of five people, the city’s Northern Ireland-born Dean has said.

Very Rev David Monteith, who is from Enniskillen, said there is a feeling of despair among the devastated inhabitants of the city.

The owner of Leicester City Football Club, Vrichai Srivaddhanaprabha, two members of his staff, as well as the pilot and his partner, died when the private helicopter came down shortly after take-off from the club’s pitch.

A book of condolence opened yesterday for grieving fans, players and officials to leave their written respects to Mr Srivaddhanaprabha, who transformed the club’s fortunes.

Their League Cup game against Southampton last night was postponed.

The crash has shocked many beyond the world of football.

Dean Monteith said: “The city feels muted, quiet and subdued.

“I was very struck by both what I’ve seen in the media but also what I’ve seen myself. It’s very respectful.”

A staple within the cathedral’s grounds, the Leicester City club flag was lowered to half-mast in tribute to the Thai businessman and the others who died. Leicester City player Daniel Amartey pays his respects at stadium (top), and (above) Very Rev David Monteith

Dean Monteith added: “For a lot of people, they’re still coming to terms with the fact that it’s happened.

“A lot of people who’ve been going to the stadium have been saying that they needed to come because they couldn’t quite believe it had happened.

“There’s still a sense of numbness. Everybody’s followed this extraordinary story, the absolute celebration from a couple of years ago and now a sense of despair. It’s a real see-saw of emotions.”

Leicester City pulled off one of football’s biggest shocks when the unfashionable club were crowned Premier League champions in 2016.

They reached the quarter-finals of the Champions League the following year.

Dean Monteith said the success of the club, spearheaded by its “generous” owner, brought people from around the world to the city.

“The world’s media was here and there was fans travelling from across Europe to be here. Clearly, people were quiet supporters of Leicester from afar but really wanted to be here,” he added.

“There was a real sense of it being an international city during that period of time.

“It was the classic thing of football helping to connect the world more.”

The owner bought the club for £39m in 2010. During his ten- ure, money was also invested in a city hospital, the university and Leicester Cathedral. King Richard III’s remains are buried at the cathedral after being discovered in a car park in 2013.

Dean Monteith added: “When I was raising money to bury Richard III and to do works to change parts of the cathedral for all of that, he gave the cathedral a donation of £100,000.

“He was a Buddhist who gave to a Christian church.

“It just speaks hugely of his generosity and his big-heartedness really.

“We have strong relationships with each other here.

“In terms of scale it’s a bit like Belfast. It’s big enough to have the things to make it a city but it’s small enough that people know one another.

“That sense of connectedness and working well together across all the divisions of race, faith and social status is a strong part of our DNA here. I’ve seen that work before in difficult times and I’m sure it can work again.”

No details of a memorial service have been released yet to allow the deceased’s family to grieve.

“We’re very gently supporting one another at this stage and we’ll work out what the club and the relatives of all those who died want,” added Dean Monteith.

Club scarves have been left within the church as part of a tribute to those killed.