Jade Goody tops online tribute chart

FORMER Big Brother star Jade Goody has attracted the most tributes on The Herald's memorial website this year.

Fans logged on to The Herald's Lasting Tribute website to pay tribute to the young mum, who died from cancer on Mother's Day. Jade's page scored more hits even than the king of pop, Michael Jackson, who died in July.

More than 600 people opened up online to remember Jade's life, her brave fight against cancer and her work to ensure her children were provided for after her death.

Sharon Armstrong wrote: "Rest in peace Jade, You'll be sadly missed! My thoughts are with your family and 2 lovely boys, u have been and will be an inspiration to many!!!! Xxx"

Scores of sympathy messages were sent in for influential folk singer-songwriter John Martyn, who was also among others to have made their mark for people wanting to celebrate a life in words and pictures.

Digger Harden wrote: "John you will never lay your head down without a hand to hold, while your fans remember you."

Lasting Tribute now has more than 1.3 million tributes online.

Lasting Tribute managing director Elaine Pritchard said: "We are very proud that so many people feel comfortable using our website to pay their respects publicly to their own loved ones as well as to celebrities and people in the public eye.

"It is good to hear from bereaved family members that they are comforted by the public expression of sympathy on Lasting Tribute and that messages and images left by people across the world reassure them that their loved ones live on in peoples' hearts."

Soldiers have also attracted contributions, whether veterans like Harry Patch, the last British survivor from the World War I trenches, who died in July, or Royal Marine Danny Winter, who died in January.

The Plymouth Herald memorials website can be found at http://lastingtribute.thisisplymouth.co.uk/