Hexham remembers Holly Newton in anniversary service at Hexham Abbey

Holly's mum, Micala Trussler, and her step-dad, Lee Trussler, were joined at Hexham Abbey by other family members, friends and town councillors to remember her.

During the service, which started at 11 am, there was a silent reflection, which was then followed by a speech from Curate Henry Hope, followed by Micala, reading J. Raymond's poem "Best of You".

Tributes from Holly's friends were followed by the lighting of candles and dedicating special purple stars in Holly’s memory as part of the Abbey's Stars for Eternity installation.

Flowers were also left at the bandstand in the Sele, which was decorated in purple for Holly.

Flowers for Holly at Hexham bandstand (Image: NQ)

On Facebook, Holly's step-dad Lee posted his own tribute to Holly on the day of the service. 

"365 days ago, the nightmare started when you were taken from us," he wrote. 

"It has not been the same without you, the family days out, you coming downstairs like an idiot shouting hiya say your head pops round the door frame.

"It only seems like last week when we saw you at the traffic lights laughing and joking with your friends, as happy as could be.

"You would be proud of your mam the way she is handling herself, and she is even keeping me sain believe it or not.

"We are proud of the young lady you were becoming.

"I may have only been your stepdad, but in my eyes, you were my beautiful daughter, and I miss you every day.

"The pain is unreal that you're not here with us anymore, and it doesn't get better.

"There will forever be a massive hole in my heart that will never be filled until we meet again.

"We miss and love you more than you will ever know my beautiful baby girl."

Hexham Wombles (Image: Cllr Suzanne Aitken-Fairless)

Hexham town councillor, Suzanne Fairless-Aitken attended the service and said," Holly's memorial on Saturday was incredibly moving – I really don't know how her mum had the courage to stand up and speak, reading a beautiful poem about the nature of grief, followed by her aunt and a close schoolfriend who spoke about how they liked to shop at Topshop and then spend their leftover pocket money on sweets.

"Listing the things fifteen-year-old girls like to do and that this could be anyone’s daughter, sister, niece, grandchild.

"Knife crime is on the rise in this country, and the admissions to the Great North Children's Hospital last summer alone show that it is real and right on our doorstep, if not already in our schools.

"We urgently need to take steps to prevent this with community education and a local knife amnesty – which are proven to work where they have been implemented by the police and local leaders.

"I am currently working with Holly's mum on a suitable memorial for the town itself and we helped clean up the areas in and around the alleyway on Saturday with the fabulous Hexham Wombles in her memory.

"I urge everyone to go a see the floating ceiling of stars – purple for Holly - and white for others lost in Hexham Abbey this week."