THE community has rallied together to raise thousands of pounds for a memorial in honour of James Furlong who was killed in the Forbury Garden attack earlier this year.

The Holt School in Wokingham where Mr Furlong was a teacher is raising money for a permanent mosaic memorial in his honour.

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The school hopes to raise £10,000 and so far, at the time of writing, £6,270 has been raised.

The Go Fund Me page said: "As well as a dedicated teacher, Head of History and Government and Politics, he was admired for his strong character, passion and conviction in his own beliefs.

"Mr Furlong encouraged Holt students to learn from the past in order to make better choices to shape the future."

Mr Furlong was killed in a knife attack in June this year.

The attacker Khairi Saadallah, 26, pleaded guilty at the Old Bailey to three murders and three attempted murders this week.

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The school added: "Although the Holt community is still coming to terms with this immense loss, we think the best way to honour his memory is to create a permanent memorial which can be appreciated by all for years to come.

"While he may be gone, Mr Furlong’s legacy is woven into the lives of the entire Holt School Community, and his love, thoughtfulness and kindness will live forever."

It explained any excess funds will go to charities that were "close to Mr Furlong's heart".