Creating a Forbury Gardens memorial

MORE THAN 3,000 people have signed a petition for a memorial at Forbury Gardens to honour the victims of the weekend attack.

On Sundaymorning, Reading resident Arya Babollah created the petition, which he has since called an “embodiment of Reading being a strong community.”

The 19-year-old said: “I couldn’t sleep that night,

I was hurting like many individuals across Reading.

“I didn’t know the victims, but I knew I had to do something.

“And then I found out that one of themwas an American expat, like myself.”

Mr Babollah studied at Maiden Erlegh School after moving from Oklahoma five years ago.

He added: “[The petition] is trying to encourage people to come together, we owe it to them to honour their legacies and remember them as they were. It’s bringing the focus back on them.”

Mr Babollah, who has connections with Reading Borough Council, wants the petition to gather hundreds more signatures before a decision is made.

He hopes the page will be a space for tribute messages, to amplify the voices of friends, family, students and colleagues who knew the victims.

And the leader of Reading Council has promised to build a a memorial where "people can pay their respects to those who lost their lives".

In a statement, Jason Brock said he shared “the grief of people in our town, and around the world”.

He added: “We will work with the community and the families of the victims to find ways to mark what has happened, and to ensure there is a permanent memorial where people can pay their respects to those who lost their lives, and everyone affected by the tragic events on Saturday.

“As plans develop over the coming days and weeks we will share those details widely.”