THE parents of sweethearts who were killed in the Manchester Arena bombing have launched a trust to help aspiring performers and sports men and women.

Just 17 and 19 years old, respectively, the couple had started to plan the rest of their lives together when suicide bomber Salman Abedi killed 22 Ariana Grande concert-goers.

Now their loving families are ensuring Chloe Rutherford and Liam Curry’s names will live on and leave a lasting legacy through the Together Forever Trust, which will support talented youngsters in music and sport.

Chloe’s mum Lisa, 46, said: “For us it’s about the potential in people, the potential that has been snatched away from our kids and we want to see other progress it.”

Liam’s mum Caroline, 47, added: “You think why them? Every day you think why them? Why our kids? When they were doing something with their lives, when they wanted to get jobs, to travel, to experience their lives together.”

The couple worked part-time at the Hilton Hotel in Gateshead while studying. Liam studied sport and exercise science at Northumbria University, while Chloe was training for a career in music at Newcastle College.

Chloe was also due to start an apprenticeship at Westoe Travel in South Shields and the couple saved up money to go away on trips together.

A talented singer, Chloe also learned to turn her hand to song writing and regularly helped her classmates with their music.

Lisa said: “Chloe danced from a very young age but quite quickly realised she preferred to sing, she was usually quite quiet but she was happy getting up on the stage to sing and perform.”

Chloe’s father Mark, 46, said: “If we can have some success and see a child at the Olympics or a performer get on stage at the West End that would be brilliant.”

Liam was a keen cricketer from a young age and trained to be a coach for the younger players.

Caroline said: “Liam loved all sport but his sport was cricket, it was his passion, he was a wicket keeper and for a few years he had been coaching the juniors. He enjoyed it because he was passing on his knowledge.”

She added: “Every parent believes their own child is special, but for us we realised other people think our kids are special too.

Both Liam and Chloe were keen charity fundraisers. Chloe often sang at charity concerts.

Liam cycled the coast to coast route and to Paris to raise funds for the Sir Bobby Robson Foundation, after his grandfather’s death.