FAMILY and friends of teenager Kyle Hull gathered for the poignant unveiling of a permanent memorial to the popular youth.

The 15-year-old died in April after falling through a roof at Darlington Auction Mart.

A memorial was unveiled at South Park, one of his favourite places to hang out, on Friday (July 10) evening.

The memorial was the culmination of weeks of work by sisters Louise McAfee and Elizabeth Kearney, who have links to Kyle's family.

Members of Kyle's family, including his mother Michele, along with countless friends, attended the memorial unveiling on a pleasant summer's evening at South Park.

Mrs McAfee made a short speech to the assembled crowds, in which she encouraged Kyle's friends to continue using the skate park and remember the teenager as they did so.

A message of having fun in a safe environment was spread among those gathered.

The memorial takes the form of dozens of photographs of Kyle and his friends, along with messages of remembrance and love for the teenager.

After the unveiling, balloons were released into the summer sky in memory of Kyle.

The memorial was supplied by local firm Classic Signs, while the balloons came courtesy of Party Animals.

Since the accident that claimed Kyle's life, there has been renewed calls for the cattle market to be moved from its landlocked town centre location to a more rural setting.

Efforts to move the mart are continuing apace, with a board members from DFAM, the company that runs the market, in talks with Darlington Borough Council officials in an effort to find a way forward.

Kyle's death had tragic echoes of the loss of Jack Hunter, in similar circumstances, at the market in 1992.