Portsmouth murder probe: Friends gather to honour life of '˜kind-hearted' Ollie Blatcher
The teenager died in the early hours of Saturday morning after being taken to hospital.
To pay their respects, a small group of teenagers had gathered outside of a block of flats in Sackville Street, Southsea, yesterday afternoon. Within an hour, the crowd had grown to almost 60 people.
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Hide AdBouquets of bright flowers filled the entrance to the block, with messages including ‘ Dear Ollie, angel. We’ll miss you, you sweet boy.’
Some had drawn illustrations and coloured in messages which were tied to the doorway.
As the street filled with people, fireworks were let off to mark the life of the 18-year-old.
As more people arrived, some brought big bunches of colourful balloons and shared them amongst the growing crowd.
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Hide AdSome chose to write messages or fond nicknames on theirs as they shared memories with friends and passers-by.
Others stood back in silence, clearly still shocked by the weekend’s events.
At 4pm, the large group began a countdown before letting the balloons off into the air, paying tribute to the life of young Ollie.
Teenagers, some no older than 17, shed tears, embraced each other and offered words of consolation at a difficult time. Neighbours joined the crowd or watched from their windows.
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Hide AdAs the remaining balloons were tied to lamp-posts and railings, the crowd dispersed.
Five teenagers decided to stay. Barely saying a word, they simply looked down on the tributes that had been left. The street was quiet again.