A TRAINEE ambulance technician killed in a road tragedy a year ago, was remembered by family, friends and former colleagues at the weekend.

Neil Hughes, from Darlington, died at the scene of the accident, after his motorcycle was involved in an accident with a car while he was out riding with workmates near Northallerton.

Proceeds from the collection at his funeral were split between a chosen family charity, St John Ambulance in the Darlington and Northallerton areas, and the North-East Ambulance Service, with whom Neil was a six-month probationer at the time of his death.

The money was used to develop a memorial garden and patio in memory of Neil, at the ambulance station in Gilesgate, Durham, where the 28-year-old former soldier was based.

Other staff at the station developed the garden, on what was an area of waste land, with the help of Poplar Tree Nurseries in Shincliffe, near Durham.

It offers ex-colleagues a chance for quiet contemplation and a bench bears a plaque with the simple inscription: "In Memory of Neil James Hughes, sadly missed by all family, friends and colleagues".

Neil's widow Fiona performed the opening at a short ceremony attended by other relations, members of staff at the station and other ambulance service trainees, last Saturday.

Among those former workmates was paramedic Kevin Wadge, who said: "Neil was here from when he started and was very well liked, very pleasant and helpful and he thoroughly enjoyed the job."