NO-ONE can ever accuse Swindonians of lacking community spirit.

When the Evening Advertiser came up with the idea of a memorial for those who had died from mesothelioma it never had any doubt that people in the town would rally round.

But we were surprised by the ease with which the £10,000 target was reached and then surpassed.

Today we would like to thank the people who matter you, our readers, for giving so generously; the companies in Swindon who agreed to contribute; Mayor Stan Pajak who came up with the idea of using the memorial money for a garden and John Short and his colleagues at Swindon Council for coming up with such an imaginative design for the garden.

The appeal effectively ended three weeks ago, yet still we are receiving money the latest a £100 cheque from members of the Swindon Transport and General Workers Union. Now we will ensure Mr Short and his colleagues receive the money so that work on the garden in Queen's Park can start.

Swindon should be proud of its railway heritage and the expertise that came from the railway works. But it should also acknowledge the mistakes that have proved so painful.

We hope the garden will be an appropriate memorial to the men and women who have died from the Swindon Disease.