FLORAL tributes have been left on a memorial bench to mark the second anniversary of the tragic deaths of apprentice jockeys Jamie Kyne and Jan Wilson.

The teenagers died in a flat fire at Buckrose Court in Norton on September 5, 2009.

Labourer Peter Brown was convicted of manslaughter last December after starting the fire that killed Jamie, who was 18 and from Galway in Ireland, and Jan, 19, from the Scottish town of Forfar.

After their deaths, a memorial bench was provided by the charity Racing Welfare and placed behind the Derwent Arms pub in Norton, a popular meeting place with members of the local racing community.

Richard Negus, from the charity, said the bench had been provided as a place for people to remember Jamie and Jan.

“Although neither of them were from Norton they regarded the town as their racing home and the bench is somewhere people can stop for five minutes and remember them,” he said.

“People move on but we will never stop thinking about Jamie and Jan and their families who have lost a son and daughter.”

Darren Rushworth, landlord of the Derwent Arms, said the pub had been a regular meeting place for the young jockeys.

“Everyone had been saying they can’t believe it was two years ago,” he said.

“Friends have been putting flowers on the bench to mark the anniversary – it’s important that they are remembered.”

More than £100,000 was raised in the aftermath of the fire to help young people working in the racing industry in the area.

The money will be used to provide accommodation and a new office for Racing Welfare’s regional officers.

Two sites are currently being looked at before a final location is chosen for the development which will also act as a memorial to Jamie and Jan.