MORE THAN 1,000 people gathered at the Sabrina Bridge in Worcester to pay tribute to 18-year-old student Thomas Jones.
It followed the discovery of a body on Friday in the River Severn by officers searching for Tom who went missing on September 19 after starting at Worcester University.
At the gathering, flowers were laid, messages of condolence were left and the number of candles were described as ‘lighting up the whole city in his memory’.
Tom was a big Oasis fan and renditions of some of the band’s music were sung by the crowds who had gathered.
The event was organised by Tom’s friend Harley Hetherington who also set up the ‘Find Jonah’ Facebook page that attracted more than 24,000 people during the search for him.
Sainsbury’s Blackpole has donated £150 worth of flowers, 300 tealights were sent from Sainsbury’s Maypole and the Worcester and Bromsgrove Street Pastors were there to offer support at the event.
Harley posted on the Find Jonah page: “Thank you all for your attendance tonight.
“It was a truly special evening that Jonah would’ve loved.
“I can’t thank you all enough for the support and happiness you all gave.
“I didn’t expect so many amazing people to come down but it was truly magical to be involved in.
“We lit up a city tonight, and Tom was smiling down on it. x”
A similar tribute event attended by more than 300 people was held on The Oakalls in Bromsgrove where Tom lived before he went to university.
Candles and flowers amassed there, along with football shirts and scarfs from West Bromwich Albion, the team Tom supported, and Bromsgrove Sporting after he played for the town’s youth teams.
On Saturday, prior to their matches, tributes were also held at Bromsgrove Sporting and West Bromwich Albion.
Players, officials and supporters of the club paid their respects to Tom before the start of the matches.
Minute silences and applauses were also witnessed over the weekend at football pitches across the West Midlands.
