Poignant tributes have been paid to student Aya Hachem on the fourth anniversary of her death.
Flowers and balloons adorn an internet pole on Whalley Banks which has become a focal point to the 19-year-old who was murdered on 17 May 2020.
Family and friends gather at the spot each year to commemorate the tragic short life of the student.
Aya's was killed as she walked by RI Tyres and QuickShine Tyres in Blackburn after going shopping for groceries for her family during the holy month of Ramadan.
The family have said it is very difficult to return to the town following the events of 2020, having since moved to London.
Aya was an aspiring lawyer who was studying at the University of Salford, and her family had moved to Blackburn 10 years before her death, fleeing from violencein Lebanon.
Five years after arriving in the country, a 14-year-old Aya Hachem and her parents went to a charity event to help traumatised refugees settle into life in the county.
In the decade she lived in the town, Aya thrust herself into British life, learning English and excelling at school. She became one of the Children’s Society’s youngest ever trustees at 16.
Eight people were jailed in 2021 for a total of more than 200 years following a trial for their involvement in the murder of Aya and the attempted murder of Pacha Khan, the intended target of the shooting.
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