A ceremony to remember Goth Sophie Lancaster who was murdered by thugs in Lancashire has taken place in Whitby.

A bench has been placed on the West Cliff in Whitby after fundraisers collected more than £3,000.

The dedication ceremony took place during Whitby Goth Weekend.

The plaque on the bench reads: “In memory of Sophie Lancaster 26th November 1986 – 24th August 2007 – an angel too soon.

Our sympathies go to Sophie’s family and friends from the Dracula in Whitby website.

Read more about this story from the BBC: Sophie Lancaster

A gothic artist from Sheffield has sadly lost his 17-year fight against brain tumours.

Phil Bestford (who was aged 40), died after a long illness which he struggled with most of his adult life.

Phil’s artwork was inspired by motorbikes, fantasy and gothic myths.

Of particular interest to Whitbyites is the fact that he was a former president of the Whitby Dracula Society.

Although a sad occasion for friends and family, it sounds like he’s going  to get a wonderful send-off from friends and family.

… read how in The Star.

It’s Saturday and I thought I’d do a quick report on the progress of the Whitby Goth Weekend.

The atmosphere, as usual, is great and it’s actually quite warm!

The usual Victoriana is out in splendour, as is Darth Vader, Frankenstein and Dracula. Even spotted a Goth ferret (with little bat wings attached to his back – sweet!).

The Pavilion has a particularly good range of stalls selling clothing, jewellery and all manner of goth apparel.

The band sound checks were in full swing ready for this evening (Clan of Xymox) and there’s a real buzz about the place.

The Bizarre Bazaar has been extended and the usual RNLI Dracula Drop looks as insanely dangerous as ever! The Victorian Spa Well in Broomfield Terrace is to be opened (a rare event) and there’s even a Horror Lab at The Resolution Hotel with a special FX demonstration.

However, this year’s event is rather special and a call for tolerance. On the West Cliff there is a memorial bench dedicated to Sophie Lancaster, the 20 year old who was kicked to death by thugs as she tried to help her boyfriend who was being attacked. They were picked on simply for being Goths. The sickening event has sent shock waves around the country and has sparked a huge debate about what we should be doing as a society about the gangs of youths who seem to literally be ‘getting away with murder’.

Despite some alarming-looking characters at the festival, it’s quite clear that the Goths are a peaceful, tolerant and fun-loving sub-culture in this country.

The Goths have paid for the memorial but there’s also a separate fund called SOPHIE (Stamp Out Prejudice, Hatred and Intolerance Everywhere) set up by Sophie’s friends and family.

A worthy cause if ever there was one… and a wake-up call to everybody who lives in the UK.