Elle Edwards’ dad says Christmas will ‘never be the same’ – as hundreds expected to line streets for funeral
The father of Elle Edwards, who was shot dead at a pub last month, has said “Christmas will never be the same” for him and his family.
In his first interview since her death, Tim Edwards spoke of how his “beautiful and caring” daughter “with a heart of gold” will never leave him – as he reminded people of the impact gun violence has had on his family.
Paying tribute to the 26-year-old beautician and dental nurse, Mr Edwards told Sky News: “She’s the type of person that would walk into the room and everyone would gravitate towards her because she was always smiling.
“She was beautiful looking and she was a great hugger. She was just a fantastic human being with a heart of gold.”
In an emotional interview ahead of her funeral next week, Mr Edwards spoke of the devastation the family felt on Christmas Eve when they found out she had been killed and the “struggle” of the last month.
“Time moves so quick,” he said.
“In our situation with the developments, Christmas Day didn’t mean anything, that had gone. It didn’t feel real and Christmas will never be the same. Christmas will never be a point of celebration for me, ever.”
Mr Edwards said Elle remained “the glue that keeps us all together” and that her death should not be in vain.
Elle was shot while celebrating with friends at the Lighthouse pub in Wallasey Village, Wirral, shortly before midnight on 24 December.
Connor Chapman, 22, has been charged with her murder and a trial date has been set for 7 June.
Elle’s dad hopes a foundation in her name ‘will be used for good’ and help reduce gun violence
Elle’s killing was the fifth shooting in Merseyside since August 2022 and Mr Edwards is hoping a foundation in her name will bring systemic change around gun violence.
“There’s no winners with gun crime,” he said.
“If you pick up a gun, your future is over and everybody else’s future around you is over. It’s dead simple. It’s absolutely pointless and it solves nothing.”
“I want to see a positive that comes out of this. Elle’s name will be used for good in the future. She can’t be forgotten,” he added.
Mr Edwards says his daughter was ‘a fantastic human being with a heart of gold’
‘Good memories spur you on’
Mr Edwards and his daughter spent time walking in the Lake District, as well as climbing mountains, and he said those memories are helping him grieve.
“They just keep you going, they keep your mind flowing. The good memories spur you on, I can even hear her laugh. It’s emotional and it’s horrible, it really is horrible, but hopefully those memories will never fade.”
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Mr Edwards said the fact Elle’s life which was cut brutally short at 26 is the “hardest part” because she had so much ahead of her.
“She was just getting going,” he told Sky News.
“She had her focus, she had her own ambitions, and she was achieving them and everything was set in place for her and it was just taken away, and that’s sad.”
Elle’s funeral will take place on 25 January in the town where she grew up, many hundreds are expected to line the streets to pay tribute.
“It’s going to be terrible isn’t it? It’s not going to be nice,” he said.
“But it’s part of the process and it’s something that has to be done. And then we move on to the next thing and keep going. But she will always be here. She’ll never leave me. She’ll live on forever.”
The Queen is unwell with a chest infection and has withdrawn from her engagements this week, Buckingham Palace has announced.
A palace spokesperson said Camilla’s doctors “have advised a short period of rest” and added that “with great regret, Her Majesty has therefore had to withdraw from her engagements for this week”.
They added the Queen “very much hopes to be recovered in time to attend this weekend’s Remembrance events as normal”.
“She apologises to all those who may be inconvenienced or disappointed as a result,” they said.
It is understood the Queen is currently resting at home and is under doctor’s supervision.
Birgitte, the Duchess of Gloucester, has stepped in on Camilla’s behalf to attend the annual opening of the Field of Remembrance at Westminster Abbey on Thursday.
The Queen has also withdrawn from a Buckingham Palace reception for Olympic and Paralympic athletes hosted by the King on the same evening.
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Camilla recently returned from an overseas tour of Australia and Samoa. No further details regarding her illness or treatment have been released.
A safety system was “blocked” during a fatal train crash in Powys, an initial investigation has found.
The Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB) has published its initial findings into last month’s collision, in which one person died.
David Tudor Evans, 66, was described as a “lovely guy, full of life and enjoyment”.
A further 15 people were taken to hospital for treatment after the crash near Talerddig, police said.
The collision – at around 7.26pm on 21 October – involved the 6.31pm Transport for Wales service from Shrewsbury to Aberystwyth and the 7.09pm Transport for Wales service from Machynlleth to Shrewsbury.
The RAIB said the units were fitted with wheel slide protection systems – described as being similar to anti-lock braking systems in cars – and an automatic sanding system.
Sand is discharged automatically via hoses when a wheel slide is detected during braking – creating more friction at the wheel-rail interface.
A map showing the location of the crash near Llanbrynmair and Talerddig in Powys
The on-train data recorder shows the wheel slide started during braking and was also present after the driver made an emergency brake demand.
An inspection of the sanding system fitted to Aberystwyth-bound train 1J25 showed the leading vehicle’s sanding hoses were blocked.
The RAIB says they were apparently unable to discharge sand.
The ongoing investigation is also looking at the speed at which the trains were travelling when they collided.
Keep up with all the latest news from the UK and around the world by following Sky News
Initial enquiries suggest the westbound train was travelling at a speed of between 15mph and 24mph, while the eastbound train was travelling at a speed of 6mph.
The RAIB says its investigation will look at the sequence of events which led to the crash.
As part of the probe, the agency will look at factors including the actions of those involved, the level of wheel-rail adhesion, and the behaviour of both trains during and after the crash.
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In a joint statement, Transport for Wales and Network Rail said they have “fully cooperated” with the British Transport Police, the Office of Rail and Road and the Rail Accident Investigation Branch.
“As investigations are currently still ongoing, we’ll continue to work together with investigators to understand what happened and await the full conclusion and recommendations of the investigation,” a spokesperson said.
The spokesperson said safety was the “main priority” for both companies and they had “carried out enhanced checks to the trains and the railway line”.
“At this early stage of the investigation, it’s fundamental that we await the findings of the full report and show sensitivity towards our customers, colleagues, the local community and the families of those affected by the incident,” they added.
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