FLORAL tributes have been laid at Newport’s war memorial in memory of a soldier brutally killed outside his London barracks last week.

The murder of Drummer Lee Rigby is being investigated by police.

Flowers and pictures of Drummer Rigby have been left at Newport’s war memorial in Clarence Place and at the nearby garden of remembrance.

Today Torfaen residents are invited undertake a moment’s reflection at the war memorial in Old Cwmbran Park at 11am, while members of the Gwent county committee of the Royal British Legion (RBL) are planning to lay a wreath at Newport’s war memorial and hold a two minutes’ silence on the day of his funeral.

Mike Jones, who organises the county Poppy Appeal for the RBL, described the attack as abhorrent.

“The barbaric killing of Lee Rigby is appalling,” said Mr Jones. “He wasn’t in the field of conflict, he was in an area where he should have been safe. This is an opportunity for the RBL in Gwent to stand shoulder to shoulder with those who serve.”

Yesterday Jennifer Jones took her sons Callum, seven, and Jamie, six, to lay flowers at the war memorial.

“My brother and sister are serving in the armed forces.

My brother is just back from pre-deployment training before he goes to Afghanistan in July,” said Miss Jones, 28, from Newport.

“The boys have drawn a picture of a soldier in heaven and asked me how to spell ‘Rest in peace soldier Lee’.

“It has upset them, they didn’t realise how cruel people can be. I had to turn the news off.

“This was horrific and it makes you worry about everyone else.”

Donations to the Help for Heroes charity, made through the JustGiving website which was publicised on a Facebook tribute page to Drummer Rigby, reached £102,000 on Sunday.