LIVING memorials to those who have lost their lives because of Covid-19 are set to be created in Basildon.

The district council is working to introduce five community orchard blossom tree circles in separate areas across the borough. Each area will be a circle of remembrance, to honour those lost to Covid-19 and generally within local communities. The trees will be funded via a crowdfunding campaign, of which the details will be released soon.

The decision to create the tree circles was agreed by members of the Neighbourhoods and Public Spaces Committee.

Chairman of the committee, Cllr David Harrison, said: "These areas will be lovely places for people to go where they can pay their respects to lost residents within each local community.

"The crowdfunding element will give residents a real sense of community ownership, that the trees really belong to each area.

"We are on a drive to plant as many trees as we can to improve biodiversity across the borough, and these will add to those statistics, but in a very poignant way."