Relatives mark anniversary of Lockerbie bombing

Published on Sunday 21 December 2008 15:45

LOVED ones of the 270 victims of the Lockerbie bombing today began taking part in a series of events to mark the 20th anniversary of the atrocity.

Pan Am Flight 103 from Heathrow to New York exploded in the skies above the Scottish town on this date in 1988.

All 259 people on board were killed and a further 11 died on the ground below.

A number of "low key" ceremonies are taking place in the town throughout the day.

Services will also be held at Heathrow and in the US to remember those who lost their lives.

More than 150 people attended a wreath-laying ceremony this afternoon at Lockerbie's Dryfesdale Cemetery.

A short service was carried out as part of the event with the readings by the town's Lord Lieutenant and a representative from the US Consulate.

Many of those in the congregation were emotional throughout the service and could be seen wiping tears from their eyes.

Addressing the congregation, Canon Michael Bands said: "It is awful that we should gather today on this stormy sort of day to feel the sadness again of the tragedy that took place here 20 years ago.

"And so perhaps, after 20 years of the deepest mourning and the experience of the greatest pain, we perhaps need to reflect a little on how the gears have been changing in our own minds and hearts.

"Nothing will ever change the pain, nothing will change those gut-wrenching experiences which followed this tragedy.

"But how we deal with them, and how we go on in to the future history of this country depends so much what we make of it all in our faith.

"This air disaster has long ceased to be a Lockerbie event and become a world event and it takes its place in the whole pattern of human experience of good and evil.

"But we still have the ability within us to make the changes."

People have been laying their own floral tributes in the cemetery's garden of remembrance today.

One read: "Twenty years have passed since you all left us to become flying angels.

"Your souls and spirits will always be with each and every one of us."

Various venues across Lockerbie have been open all day for people to meet and gather their thoughts, with the Lesser Town Hall being the main point of focus.

Dryfesdale and Tundergarth churches, in Lockerbie area, will later hold services to coincide with the moment just after 7pm when the plane came down.

Up to 300 people, including relatives and some former employees of the Pan Am airline are expected to attend a private memorial at Heathrow Airport chapel, led by the Rev John Mosey, whose daughter Helga died in the disaster.

New York State's Syracuse University, which lost 35 students in the bombing, will hold a memorial and some 500 people are expected to attend a remembrance services at Arlington National Cemetery outside Washington DC.

Prayers will be said and the names of all the victims read out at the Pan Am 103 cairn at the cemetery.