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Hundreds gather to pay tribute to Arthur Labinjo-Hughes at vigil

Balloons released in tribute to six-year-old Arthur Labinjo-Hughes
His death caused national outrage and there have been a series of nationwide tributes (Pictures: PA)

Hundreds of people have paid a touching tribute to Arthur Labinjo-Hughes at a vigil.

The six-year-old was murdered by his ‘evil’ stepmum Emma Tustin after being subjected to months of ‘sadistic’ cruelty while living with her and dad Thomas Hughes in Cranmore Road, Solihull.

His death caused national outrage and there have been a series of nationwide tributes after Tustin and Hughes were locked up for the ‘evil’ killing.

The vigil on Sunday saw crowds of people gather outside the property to lay flowers and release balloons to show the schoolboy some of the love he was denied in the final weeks of his short life.

Arthur’s maternal grandmother Madeleine Halcrow, who previously paid tribute to him as her ‘sunny delight’, could be seen wiping away tears while wearing a t-shirt bearing his face.

The crowd lined the road before letting go of the balloons, some bearing messages, and applauding.

Residents, some with tears in their eyes, could be heard saying ‘bye Arthur’ and ‘fly high always’.

Undated family handout photo of Arthur Labinjo-Hughes. Emma Tustin has been jailed for life with a minimum term of 29 years at Coventry Crown Court for cruelly starving, poisoning and then murdering her six-year-old stepson. The 32-year-old fatally assaulted the youngster with severe force in the hallway of her home in Cranmore Road, Solihull, on June 16 2020. He died in hospital the following day. Issue date: Friday December 3, 2021. PA Photo. See PA story COURTS Arthur. Photo credit should read: Olivia Labinjo-Halcrow/PA Wire NOTE TO EDITORS: This handout photo may only be used in for editorial reporting purposes for the contemporaneous illustration of events, things or the people in the image or facts mentioned in the caption. Reuse of the picture may require further permission from the copyright holder.
Arthur Labinjo-Hughes suffered an unsurvivable brain injury (Picture: PA)
People release balloons during a tribute to six-year-old Arthur Labinjo-Hughes outside Emma Tustin's former address in Solihull, West Midlands, where he was murdered by his stepmother. Picture date: Sunday December 5, 2021. PA Photo. Emma Tustin, 32, was jailed for life at Coventry Crown Court on Friday, with a minimum term of 29 years, after being found guilty of his murder, while his father, Thomas Hughes, 29, was sentenced to 21 years for manslaughter. See PA story POLITICS Arthur. Photo credit should read: Jacob King/PA Wire
People release balloons during a tribute to the six-year-old (Picture: PA)
People gather to pay tribute to six-year-old Arthur Labinjo-Hughes outside Emma Tustin's former address in Solihull, West Midlands, where he was murdered by his stepmother. Picture date: Sunday December 5, 2021. PA Photo. Emma Tustin, 32, was jailed for life at Coventry Crown Court on Friday, with a minimum term of 29 years, after being found guilty of his murder, while his father, Thomas Hughes, 29, was sentenced to 21 years for manslaughter. See PA story POLITICS Arthur. Photo credit should read: Jacob King/PA Wire
A sign on the house where he was murdered reads ‘you are loved’ (Picture: PA)
People gather to pay tribute to six-year-old Arthur Labinjo-Hughes outside Emma Tustin's former address in Solihull, West Midlands, where he was murdered by his stepmother. Picture date: Sunday December 5, 2021. PA Photo. Emma Tustin, 32, was jailed for life at Coventry Crown Court on Friday, with a minimum term of 29 years, after being found guilty of his murder, while his father, Thomas Hughes, 29, was sentenced to 21 years for manslaughter. See PA story POLITICS Arthur. Photo credit should read: Jacob King/PA Wire
Arthur’s grandmother wiped away tears (Picture: PA)
People gather to pay tribute to six-year-old Arthur Labinjo-Hughes outside Emma Tustin's former address in Solihull, West Midlands, where he was murdered by his stepmother. Picture date: Sunday December 5, 2021. PA Photo. Emma Tustin, 32, was jailed for life at Coventry Crown Court on Friday, with a minimum term of 29 years, after being found guilty of his murder, while his father, Thomas Hughes, 29, was sentenced to 21 years for manslaughter. See PA story POLITICS Arthur. Photo credit should read: Jacob King/PA Wire
They lay flowers and balloons (Picture: PA)

They then formed a line outside the house before balloons, posters and flowers were placed around the property.

The words ‘You are loved Arthur’ were put on the boarded-up window. A Birmingham City flag was also placed at the scene, along with a picture of the youngster.

Tustin, 32, was jailed for life at Coventry Crown Court on Friday, with a minimum term of 29 years, after being found guilty of the six-year-old’s murder while Hughes, 29, was sentenced to 21 years for manslaughter.

The Government has announced a major review into the circumstances which led to the murder, aiming to determine what improvements are needed by the agencies that came into contact with Arthur before his death.

The National Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel will lead the review and will provide additional support to Solihull Children’s Safeguarding Partnership.

Undated handout photo issued by West Midlands Police of Emma Tustin has been jailed for life with a minimum term of 29 years at Coventry Crown Court for cruelly starving, poisoning and then murdering her six-year-old stepson Arthur Labinjo-Hughes. Issue date: Friday December 3, 2021. PA Photo. See PA story COURTS Arthur . Photo credit should read: West Midlands Police/PA Wire NOTE TO EDITORS: This handout photo may only be used in for editorial reporting purposes for the contemporaneous illustration of events, things or the people in the image or facts mentioned in the caption. Reuse of the picture may require further permission from the copyright holder.
Tustin was jailed for life with a minimum term of 29 years at Coventry Crown Court (Picture: PA)
Undated handout photo issued by West Midlands Police of Thomas Hughes who has been jailed for 21 years at Coventry Crown Court after he was found guilty of the manslaughter of his six-year-old son Arthur Labinjo-Hughes. Issue date: Friday December 3, 2021. PA Photo. See PA story COURTS Arthur . Photo credit should read: West Midlands Police/PA Wire NOTE TO EDITORS: This handout photo may only be used in for editorial reporting purposes for the contemporaneous illustration of events, things or the people in the image or facts mentioned in the caption. Reuse of the picture may require further permission from the copyright holder.
Hughes was jailed for 21 years (Picture: PA)
People gather to pay tribute to six-year-old Arthur Labinjo-Hughes outside Emma Tustin's former address in Solihull, West Midlands, where he was murdered by his stepmother. Picture date: Sunday December 5, 2021. PA Photo. Emma Tustin, 32, was jailed for life at Coventry Crown Court on Friday, with a minimum term of 29 years, after being found guilty of his murder, while his father, Thomas Hughes, 29, was sentenced to 21 years for manslaughter. See PA story POLITICS Arthur. Photo credit should read: Jacob King/PA Wire
Well-wishers formed a line outside the house (Picture: PA)
People gather to pay tribute to six-year-old Arthur Labinjo-Hughes outside Emma Tustin's former address in Solihull, West Midlands, where he was murdered by his stepmother. Picture date: Sunday December 5, 2021. PA Photo. Emma Tustin, 32, was jailed for life at Coventry Crown Court on Friday, with a minimum term of 29 years, after being found guilty of his murder, while his father, Thomas Hughes, 29, was sentenced to 21 years for manslaughter. See PA story POLITICS Arthur. Photo credit should read: Jacob King/PA Wire
Residents, some with tears in their eyes, could be heard saying ‘bye Arthur’ (Picture: PA)
People gather to pay tribute to six-year-old Arthur Labinjo-Hughes outside Emma Tustin's former address in Solihull, West Midlands, where he was murdered by his stepmother. Picture date: Sunday December 5, 2021. PA Photo. Emma Tustin, 32, was jailed for life at Coventry Crown Court on Friday, with a minimum term of 29 years, after being found guilty of his murder, while his father, Thomas Hughes, 29, was sentenced to 21 years for manslaughter. See PA story POLITICS Arthur. Photo credit should read: Jacob King/PA Wire
The Education Secretary said Arthur’s murder had ‘shocked and appalled the nation’ (Picture: PA)

It emerged in court the boy had been seen by social workers just two months before his death, but they concluded there were ‘no safeguarding concerns’.

Education Secretary Nadhim Zahawi said Arthur’s murder had ‘shocked and appalled the nation’.

He added: ‘I am deeply distressed by this awful case and the senseless pain inflicted on this poor boy, who has been robbed of the chance to live his life.

‘I have taken immediate action and asked for a joint inspection to consider where improvements are needed by all the agencies tasked with protecting children in Solihull, so that we can be assured that we are doing everything in our power to protect other children and prevent such evil crimes.

‘Given the enormity of this case, the range of agencies involved and the potential for its implications to be felt nationally, I have also asked Annie Hudson, chair of the Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel, to work with leaders in Solihull to deliver a single, national review of Arthur’s death to identify where we must learn from this terrible case.

@BCFCootballers and fans across the country have paid tribute to murdered schoolboy Arthur Labinjo-Hughes after his killers were jailed. 'We love you Arthur': Football pays tribute to schoolboy, 6, murdered by family

‘We are determined to protect children from harm and where concerns are raised we will not hesitate to take urgent and robust action.

‘We will not rest until we have the answers we need.’

A targeted area inspection will be also commissioned and led jointly by Ofsted, the Care Quality Commission, HM Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services and HM Inspectorate of Probation.

It will consider what improvements are needed by all agencies who protect vulnerable children in Solihull, including how they work together.

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.

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