AMANDA MURDER INQUIRY: A lasting memorial to Amanda Edwards whose body was found on a Malmesbury building site a week after she went missing is to be created at her local pub in Purton.

The Royal George is having a fund-raising evening to provide the memorial and help her parents with the cost of the funeral. The pub customers began a collection on the bar as soon as they heard the news, and have collected £240 already.

But landlady Jeanette Clifton, who used to work at The Cedars with Amanda's mother Beverley, wants to do more in memory of the caring, smiley nursery nurse.

She said: "The first response from customers has been brilliant, but we decided to do something more. We had booked a band day for May 30, the bank holiday Sunday anyway, but now we have decided to make it a tribute day for Amanda and all money raised will go towards her fund.

"One of the bands has agreed to play for free, and we will be having a raffle and sending the money to her family."

Regulars at the Royal George, just yards away from Amanda's family home in Pavenhill, Purton, have decided to plant a tree in Amanda's memory. Mrs Clifton said: "One regular, who is a gardener, suggest we buy a cheery tree because they flower every year at about this time and it seemed like a nice tribute.

"We are going to plant that and put a plaque on it as a way for people in Purton to remember her, because she was such a lovely girl. The rest of the money we are planning on giving to the family to help with burial costs, because nobody plans to be burying their 21-year-old daughter."

Mrs Clifton and her regulars are hoping to double the £240 they have raised so far on the bank holiday event.

Principle of Little Foxes pre-school Sandra Willy said: "There certainly will be a memorial here. We want the parents to think of what they would like. We are thinking in terms of Amanda's name on a bench and a tree which will always provide shade. We have also got a book of condolences with the most wonderful messages from parents.

"A message from children says 'thanks for looking after us.' One reads 'I will never forget my baby always cuddled up in your lap and when you picked her up she always had a smile on her face.'"