STAFF and students at a secondary school are designing a memorial bench for a former pupil who died in Afghanistan.

Georgie Sparks, who lived in Theydon Mount, Epping, attended Debden Park High School in Loughton but was killed last year at just 19-years-old.

Now, his former teachers want to remember Georgie and have decided to have a bench made for him at the school.

Deputy Headteacher Helen Gascoyne said: “We decided we wanted to do something to mark Georgie's time here and commemorate his life. We are in talks about the design of the bench with a local artist and we are waiting for him to get back to us.”

Money has been donated from Loughton Town Council and the school PTA to pay for the cost of the bench.

Miss Gascoyne, who taught Georgie Drama, said he was was a perfect pupil.

She added: “He was a perfect student and a lovely boy. The teachers who are still here who taught him, they all remember Georgie.

"When we heard that he had been killed we did a special assembly for him so even those who didn't know him had an understanding of what happened. It brought it all home to them, because you hear about people being killed out in Afghanistan, but it doesn't mean anything. But knowing that someone used to go to their school really made them think.”