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School pays its tribute to fallen former pupil
Rifleman Aidan Howell's former headteacher at Montsaye Community College has paid tribute to a "positive, cheerful and popular young man" after announcing the school is planning a lasting tribute to the fallen hero.
Sue Fennell said the Rothwell school is hosting tribute assemblies all week and will be discussing a permanent memorial for Rifleman Howell on site.
Trained bereavement counsellors have also been on hand to speak to distressed staff and students.
The 19-year-old from Braybrooke Road, Desborough, was killed by an improvised explosive while serving with 3rd Battalion The Rifles near Helmand Province in Afghanistan on December 28.
His body was repatriated on Tuesday in the Wiltshire village of Wootton Bassett.
Mrs Fennell said: "We are doing assemblies this week in memory of Aidan where we will remember and pay tribute to him. We remember him as a very positive, cheerful, popular young man who had expressed an interest in joining the Army from an early stage.
"You hear all the time about soldiers dying but this really brings it home.
"It is quite a close community here so many of the students knew Aidan personally.
"From the reports in the press he was really flourishing and had a bright future so it is so sad, especially for his family."
Meanwhile, Rifleman Howell's friends spoke of their anger at plans by controversial Islamic group Islam4UK to march through Wootton Bassett calling for the withdrawal of British troops.
Steven Stratford said: "If they want to protest they should do it in London against the Government, not here. Wootton Bassett is where the soldiers come back, all of them, as heroes."
Pete Bell added: "Imagine Aidan's mother and father seeing that. It's the lowest of the low.
Click here to see a video report of the procession.
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Weather for Kettering
Sunday 27 May 2012
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