Son of attacks victim helps create school allotment

The son of Ian Coates, who was killed in the Nottingham attacks, has helped to create a new allotment at the school where his father worked, "honouring his legacy" of helping others.

Ian was on his way to work as a caretaker at Huntingdon Academy in Nottingham when he was stabbed to death by Valdo Calocane on 13 June 2023.

On Tuesday the school invited members of Ian's family and friends to help turn an empty green space on the school grounds into an allotment for its pupils.

Becky Riley, head of school at the academy, said Ian often did things that made a difference.

"Ian always, he gave extra. He gave extra for the children in the schools that he served.

"He often worked in inner-city schools and he spent his own time doing things that would make a difference, so this is very much honouring Ian's legacy," Riley said.

The space was previously unused by the school and had become overgrown with weeds.

With the help of Lee, Ian's sister Susan Coates and other friends, the area is being transformed with raised beds for vegetables and flowers, an area for wildflowers and a pond.

Lee said he had kept in close contact with the school since his dad's death and was asked to lend a helping hand in the project.

For him and his aunt Susan, it has been a welcome break from the ongoing public inquiry which is examining the events that led up to the attacks in Nottingham and the decisions made in the aftermath.

Ian became Calocane's third victim, after students Barnaby Webber and Grace O'Malley-Kumar were killed. Calocane also tried to kill three others on the day of the attacks.

In the first month of evidence, the inquiry heard how Ian's sons learned of his death through social media, and that his body had been left at the scene for 15 hours.

Lee said: "I just wanted to - before we go into the Easter break - have something positive and do something I know my dad would do.

"He used to get a lot of this stuff sorted for the school.

"In no way can I replace the work that he does, but if we could try and chip in in anyway, it's sort of a feel-good factor after the month of stuff that we've had to listen to in the inquiry."

Lee said his dad, who was an avid fisherman, would have "loved" the pond.

The 65-year-old also used his own money to set up a fishing club to teach young people how to fish.

"Every house that he had usually had a pond as well and if it didn't he would build one," Lee said.

He called the allotment a "little reflection" of his dad.

Susan added her brother would have been proud of the turnout on Tuesday.

"He'd have been organising it and telling people what to do," she laughed.

As a keen gardener herself, Susan said the new green space would be an important place for the children to learn.

She added: "I feel it's very healing especially with the inquiry going on and all the emotion that is attached to that and the grieving that's still going on.

"So this is a wonderful place to be in nature to help with that healing process."

Huntingdon Academy said it hoped the allotment will be open to its pupils by September.

Listen to BBC Radio Nottingham on Sounds and follow BBC Nottingham on Facebook, on X, or on Instagram. Send your story ideas to eastmidsnews@bbc.co.uk or via WhatsApp on 0808 100 2210.