THANK you for being brave. Those were the words of five-year-old Lily Hepplestone, who wrote the message on a card left with flowers at Market Place, Huddersfield, where members of the public have set up a memorial.

Lily, of Skelmanthorpe, went to see the floral tributes with her grandmother, Susan Carter.

Mrs Carter had taken Lily to pay their own respects to Pte Daniel Wilford, 21, from Cowlersley, Cpl Jake Hartley, 20, from New Mill, and Pte Anton Frampton, 20, from Longwood.

She said: I didnt know any of them, but I do feel like I needed to pay my respects.

I simply cannot imagine what it must be like for their families right now, but I hope they can take some small comfort from the many, many tributes here.

Lily is only five so I explained about the three brave soldiers and she wanted to write something to them herself.

Yesterday floral tributes were mounting at the memorial in Huddersfield town centre and at the Greenhead Park war memorial.

Others chose to visit St Peters, Huddersfield Parish Church, to sign the book of condolence.

The Vicar, the Rev Canon Simon Moor said: People have been coming in all morning to leave messages in the book of condolence.

Ive spoken to people who have come through and there is sadness that such young lives have gone.

Some have come in who have known them, they had only gone out for drinks with them six weeks ago.

People are leaving flowers at the Market Place and coming here too so many people just want to pay their respects to them and to their families.

At times like this people take some comfort of being in a sacred space.

At both memorials people stopped to read the messages on flowers left by those known and unknown to the families of the fallen soldiers.

In Greenhead Park one message simply said respect, another was addressed to the brave boys.

The Friends of Greenhead Park had left flowers with a card which read gone but never forgotten, with deepest sympathy.

The park, usually so full of life, was quite and peaceful yesterday.