Mother of murdered Sophie Lancaster to be laid to rest with her daughter

manchestereveningnews.co.uk:

The mother of murdered Sophie Lancaster will be laid to rest with her daughter following her sudden death. Sophie died aged 20 after being kicked to death in Lancashire because she was dressed as a goth.

Her mother Sylvia Lancaster spent years campaigning and set up a foundation which worked to challenge prejudice. She was awarded an OBE in 2014 for her campaigning on hate crime.

After a period of ill health she died in Blackburn hospital last month, weeks after one of her daughter's killers was freed. Now details of her funeral have been revealed.

READ MORE : Pedestrian 'hit by car' and rushed to hospital after crash on major Manchester road

A message posted on Twitter by her son Adam read: "It has been a tough couple of weeks since we lost my Mum, thank you for all your support. We know how much Sylvia meant to other people too.

"You are welcome to join us next Thursday as we commemorate her life, and she will then be laid to rest with Sophie. Thanks, Adam." A service of commemoration is due to held in Whitworth near Rochdale before Sylvia is laid to rest with her daughter at Whitworth Cemetery.

People are being asked to wear pink, which was Sylvia's favourite colour. Sophie was murdered and and her boyfriend, Robert Maltby badly beaten at Stubbylee Park in Bacup on August 11, 2007 by teenagers Ryan Herbert and Brendan Harris in what a judge described as a 'feral' and 'savage' attack.

The couple were beaten so badly that when paramedics arrived they could not tell if they were male or female. Sophie, 20, was placed on a life-support machine. She died from her injuries in hospital almost two weeks later, on August 24.

Harris, who was found guilty of Sophie's murder in 2008 and admitted the attack on Mr Maltby, was