Families of those killed in the Nottingham attack have laid flowers at the spot where the two students were murdered a year ago today.

Barnaby Webber and Grace O’Malley-Kumar, both 19, were stabbed by Valdo Calocane as they walked home after a night out celebrating the end of exams.

The 32-year-old also knifed to death school caretaker Ian Coates, 65, as he made his way to work at Huntingdon Academy in the early hours.

A memorial service took place at the university, with the fathers of Grace and Barnaby recalling how happy they both were in the city.

There was also a two-minute silence and friends lined up to add single flowers to a bouquet near the stage.

Grace’s father was emotional as he recalled how his “hero” daughter “fought valiantly” during the attack.

“She was brave and she was beautiful”, he told the audience.

In a statement ahead of the service, the Webber, Coates and O’Malley-Kumar families said the killings were a “series of catastrophic missed opportunities” which led to “entirely preventable deaths”, and “no stone will be left unturned” in their battle for justice.

Calocane pleaded guilty to three counts of manslaughter by reason of diminished responsibility in January.

The families tried to appeal the sentence, but the Court of Appeal ruled in May the sentence was “not unduly lenient” given the medical evidence showed he has paranoid schizophrenia.

Since the attacks, the three families have intensely criticised Nottinghamshire Police and the Nottinghamshire Healthcare Foundation Trust after it was revealed Calocane had previously been detained in hospital four times, and a warrant for his arrest had been issued months before the killings.

This breaking news story is being updated and more details will be published shortly.

Please refresh the page for the fullest version.

You can receive Breaking News alerts on a smartphone or tablet via the Sky News App. You can also follow @SkyNews on X or subscribe to our YouTube channel to keep up with the latest news.

Related posts:

‘He was excited to bring his family home’: British taxi driver killed in Kabul bomb attack alongside wife and two of his children Government expected to mobilise army ‘as a precaution’ amid fuel crisis Migrants crossing Channel this year already double total for 2020 Women and non-binary football league suspends fixtures amid boycott over player eligibility row Queen will not attend service for the Commonwealth on Monday UK pilots with HIV able to work unrestricted after ‘landmark changes’ in aviation guidance COVID infections in the UK rise again to nearly 3.8 million, figures show Christmas travel hit again by strikes as Border Force set for airport walkouts Teacher ‘stabbed unfaithful partner to death and buried body in garden’ Tyres ‘destroyed’ at Land Rover dealership in ‘retaliation’ over school deaths Warning over 999 speeds as officer jailed for death of woman hit by police car King says COP28 a ‘critical turning point’ in fight against climate change