Former school friends of helicopter crash victim Simon Kennedy have taken part in a special assembly to remember his short life.

Pupils at the King Edmund School in Vaughan Close, Rochford, said a prayer for the 15-year-old after they were told of his tragic death.

The teenager, who lived in Old Leigh with his mother, was killed along with his 45-year-old father Paul when the helicopter in which they were travelling plunged to the ground.

Graham Abel, the school's headteacher, said: "The school held a special assembly to remember his time here and the companionship he offered to other youngsters. It's an appalling thing to have happened and it has left his mother devastated."

Deputy head Sue Nichol added: "He was quiet but he was a lovely lad. We're really very sorry this has happened."

Published Tuesday, January 21, 2003

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