Bridge mural to honour 'vibrant and colourful' teen

"He was just someone that was very colourful and vibrant. I'm hoping this mural will be reflective of who he was as a person."

Julia Anyanwu describes her younger brother Sean who died at the age of 16 after getting into difficulty in the water at Bray Lake near Maidenhead.

Just a few days after his death in July 2022, graffiti appeared underneath Maidenhead Railway Bridge reading "rest in peace Sean" in Latin.

She and her family are now planning a new mural underneath the bridge - supported by Network Rail - that will not only pay tribute to Sean, but to the town he called home.

Julia said the family did not expect the first graffiti tribute under the bridge to last.

"Because it was graffiti, we just assumed it was going to be gone within the next few days," she said.

It gave the family the idea of painting a new, more permanent mural, one which would pay tribute to Maidenhead as well as Sean.

Still in the design phase, the new mural has Sean depicted playing the ukulele, one of his hobbies.

"It's not just about a little boy - it's about love and appreciation and even about Maidenhead," said Julia.

The family has set up a GoFundMe page to pay for the mural, which will be painted by street artist Shauna Anseo when they meet their target.

Network Rail, which owns the bridge, said the mural would be a "fitting tribute".

"We're happy to be able to play a small part in making it happen," it added.

Sean was a pupil at Cox Green School and had recently completed his GCSEs when he died after getting into difficulties in Bray Lake.

After his death, the school's headteacher Danny Edwards said: "Sean was a kind-hearted pupil with a close friendship group and had worked tirelessly in his recent exams to achieve his very best.

"Grief can present itself in many forms, and over a long period."

While still short of the £6,200 fundraising target, an emotional Anyanwu said she had been moved by the donations so far.

"It's really nice to see how willing people are to donate to a boy they don't even know," she said.

"I hope Sean sees the mural and appreciates it".