A SIMPLE ceremony was held yesterday in memory of a young man who died in an accident aged 24.

Mill worker William Wren died when a freak storm hit the North-East coastline, 170 years ago.

The gale force winds of January 7, 1834, caused devastation across the region and among the exposed buildings at risk of collapse was Fulwell Mill, in Newcastle Road, Sunderland.

Mr Wren ventured out on to the sails but the heavy winds forced the break rope to snap.

Witnesses described him clinging on to the sails for three full revolutions. But on the fourth, he was unable to maintain his grip and was thrown 30-yards to his death.

Structural damage was widespread in the area, with Bishopwearmouth Church and rectory, in Sunderland, among the toll of casualties, while the winds were so fierce they blew over mills in Bishopwearmouth and Silksworth.

But Fulwell Mill took the brunt of the storm on its sails.

Several other people were killed in the storm and many others, including Sunderland's mayor at that time, were injured.

Mr Wren's death was the only fatal accident recorded at the mill, which dates from 1821.

It was restored with a capability as a working mill once more and reopened as a visitor attraction in 2001.

The laying of a wreath of flowers to mark the tragedy of January 1839 has become an tradition in recent years.

Curator Alistair Yule, who leads guided tours of the mill, performed the short ceremony as a tribute to Mr Wren.