Saturday, December 3, 2016

​Flowers left in tribute to tram crash victims to be recycled for permanent memorial


Flowers left in memory of the Croydon tram crash victims will be recycled as compost that will become part of a permanent memorial.

Hundreds of floral tributes have been laid near the crash site in Addiscombe Road and in New Addington to remember the seven who died and those that were injured when the tram derailed on November 9.

Croydon Council announced that two permanent memorials will eventually be created, one in Sandilands and one in New Addington, once families have been spoken to about what sort of memorials they would like to see.

Signs have been placed by the temporary memorials letting residents know that staff will be "tending the flowers and will carefully and respectfully remove any that are wilting" to "preserve" them.

The signs add: "A compost made from the flowers will be added to the permanent memorial.

"Any other tributes that we remove will be kept safely by us."

The Advertiser has approached the council to find out more details about where the tributes are being stored.

A net is covering the New Addington flowers, in Central Parade, to protect them.

Over the last two weeks, the funerals have been held for the tram crash victims, with five of them being from the estate.

The Advertiser was invited to cover the send-offs for Headley Drive resident Philip Logan and Queen Elizabeth's Drive resident Philip Seary, who both left behind huge, loving families and groups of friends.