CHILDREN have paid tribute to a classmate by unveiling a memorial garden in his honour.

Ten-year-old Dominic Rodgers died of carbon monoxide poisoning in his Fartown home when fumes seeped into his bedroom from a gas boiler in February.

At an emotional ceremony yesterday, his grieving mum, Stacey Rodgers, met Dominic's classmates and friends who helped create the pretty garden.

Form 6P at Christ Church Woodhouse Junior and Infant School, Deighton, created the garden in a quiet section of the playground.

"It looks absolutely brilliant. I think Dominic would have really liked it," Mrs Rodgers told his friends. "I couldn't have wished for a better tribute from the school."

Since Dominic's death, there has been a massive outpouring of support from the community.

"It's support like this that's keeping me going," she admitted.

Dominic was a popular and successful pupil. He was a star goalkeeper for the school's soccer team and a talented hockey player.

His garden bears a small plaque with his picture, the name of his classmates who created it and murals of a Manchester United strip bearing the name Dom and the United emblem.

Dominic used to dream of playing for United.

Learning mentor Linda Folan, who helped with the garden, said: "He was very popular and well-liked. He was a kind young man. He always seemed to have his football gloves on!"

Class teacher Chris Parkin added: "He was wonderfully well-behaved and a good sportsman."

Kenneth Fill, 11, was a close friend and helped with work on the garden: "I think the garden looks lovely."

He said he had thought about Dominic many times since the tragedy. "You think: `Why did it happen to him'"?

Head teacher Tony Caulton said of Dominic's death: "No-one expects when you leave school at 3.15pm on a Wednesday that you are not going to see somebody at 9am the next day."

He paid tribute to Mrs Rodgers: "I have got tremendous admiration for Stacey because out of that trauma and that anger she has focused all that energy into a campaign which will try to ensure that no-one ever again dies from carbon monoxide poisoning."