Candlelit ceremony for British victims

Amid flowers and candles, the British victims of the Bali bombing were remembered in a quiet ceremony in a garden on the Indonesian island last night.

Friends and relatives had gathered for an informal service after attending public memorials. As part of the ceremony, mourners stepped forward one by one to light candles illuminating photographs of the British victims.

Nicole Perkins, 18, from Sheffield, paid tribute to her sister Natalie, 20, and her cousin Laura France, 18, who were travelling round the world together when they were killed.

With the support of her father, Nicole told those gathered at the Bali Dynasty Hotel garden: "Laura was kind, loving, and funny and had the craziest laugh. We were always so proud of her. Her smile, beauty and precious memories will remain in our lives for ever."

Another mourner, Ron Cooper, described Paul Hussey, his brother-in-law who was one of 28 Britons killed in the attack one year ago, as a "sweet and caring" man.

"We are a very close family and have been helped in our grief by the many tributes and kind words we have received from people who became his friends all over the world," he said.

The ceremony was timed to coincide with the official memorial service that took place last night in the church of St Martin-in-the-Fields in central London, which was attended by 800 guests. White balloons representing each individual victim of the bombing were released into the night from Leicester Square.

The Reverend Nicholas Holtam said: "As the balloons rise above us may our hearts be set free from feelings of anger and bitterness."

Jocelyn Waller from Cambridge described the pain of the death of his son Ed, killed aged 26 on a rugby tour. He said: "They were not soldiers killed in the line of battle, they were just there to play rugby."