Last weekend, tragedy befell a North-East family when John Crompton, and his two children, Morgan and Evie-Lily, were killed in a horror accident in France. Since then the community in Hartlepool has come together to offer support – emotional and financial – and last night hundreds gathered to release balloons in their memory. Chris Webber reports

The Northern Echo:

Five-year-old pupil Bobby Wallace launches his balloon 

UNTIL you saw the tears it looked and sounded like an everyday fun event at school.

There were the brightly coloured balloons. Half purple because it was four-year-old Evie-Lily’s colour, half white for her talented, sporty brother, Morgan, just nine.

There was the laughter of running, playing children, a man in a costume blowing bubbles, fundraising cake stalls.

But amid the fun there were tears, warm tears to mingle with the cold rain.

Tears of children like Brodie Percival and Jack Teal who had lost a great pal.

Both boys tried their best to smile as the man from the newspaper approached. A mother and a family friend offered comfort. “They were all great pals,” said mum.

The Northern Echo:

There were tears from adults like Nicole Readman who, with her friend, Kayleigh Todd, had organised the event where hundreds, maybe 400 to 500, had come to show what support and charity they could.

The importance of showing solidarity with mother Makayla Lund, 25, and her two-year-old son, Kyle, both fighting for their lives in a foreign land, was stressed.

One man, headteacher Lee Walker, somehow had to stay strong and keep the tears in check as the hundreds of children released the purple and white balloons into the grey, rainy sky.

He told of the surreal sadness of “something that you think will always happen in another town, another school,” and of everyone’s overwhelming desire to show solidarity with the family.

The Northern Echo:

A kind of desperately sad enthusiasm came over him as he recalled the personalities of the children.

Morgan was “a real, genuine sporting talent". "Myself and the deputy head were talking just last Thursday about his kind of star quality.”

Little Evie-Lily was “bright, a leader". "You could tell after the weekend she was bursting to come back to nursery.”

Close friend of Makayla, Laura Austwicke, set up a GoFundMe website which has raised so far about £11,500. Another site in France has raised £1,250. She explained the four family members in France are “preparing themselves for the long ahead.”

The Northern Echo:

Everyone wanted the whole family home.

One woman who knew and loved the family had donated £700. “They were very much a family unit,” she said. “They did everything together. John was the life and soul of the party. Makayla doted on her three kids.”

Her words echo those of John Crompton’s sister, Faye. Hers is just one tribute of many hundreds to be found online.

“I'm John's little sister,” she said of the snooker playing, Hartlepool United-supporting family man. "I'm sorry, I don't really feel like I can say anything at the minute other than I am completely broken.

The Northern Echo:

"I just wanted to say to every one of you how grateful myself and all the family are for every single thing you have all done and continue to do.

"I want to tell you all that I have seen every single message, post, status, like and share and I am eternally grateful. I just can't find the strength to respond at the minute.”

The people of Hartlepool are known for being close-knit. Time and again they have come together to support their own in times of tragedy.

Faye, Makayla and little Kyle can be absolutely assured this time is no exception.