A CITY barrister played a leading role in yesterday's vigil to murdered 11-year-old Rhys Jones, due to the fact he is currently lord mayor of Liverpool.
Paul Clark, a thelegalweek.co.uk blogger who practices at Exchange Chambers in Liverpool, spoke at the moving service, held in Croxteth Country Park yesterday afternoon.
Rhys was shot dead while he walked home from football training close to the Fir Tree pub in Croxteth Park almost a fortnight ago. His killer is still at large.
Speaking to those gathered, he said: "The vigil gives us all the opportunity to remember Rhys - a tremendously likeable, talented and friendly young man, whose death has devastated everyone who knew him.
"It gives us the opportunity to offer thoughts, prayers and support to Melanie and Stephen and his brother Owen and the rest of his family and frieds.
"It also gives us the opportunity to express our outrage as a city and to pledge that we will all work together to make our communities safer.
"Rhys was a boy who was full of love. He loved his family, his friends and his school and he was dearly loved in return. And of course he loved his football and went everywhere wearing his cherished Everton shirt.
"The love that was in Rhys's heart should be an inspiration to us all. I believe that love is at the heart of life in Liverpool and we must use it to strengthen our communities to reinforce our bond with our neighbours and to make the safety of others our personal responsibility.
"I would urge the person responsible to hand themselves in."