A staggering £85,000 has been raised towards creating a skatepark in memory of a 12-year-old boy who died in a drowning tragedy just five months ago.

Isaac Nash, of Highburton, lost his life last August during a family holiday to Aberffraw, Anglesey, when a rip tide dragged him out to sea. His body has never been recovered.

Since then his family and friends have embarked on a £100,000 fundraising drive which should achieve its goal in March when a major ball is held in Barkisland and which is expected to raise £10,000.

Simultaneously, members of the committee set up to create the park at a recreation ground in the village have been holding talks with officers from Kirklees Council to develop the plans.

Isaac’s grandmother Suzanna Lewis said: “My husband Howard, Minnie Ainley and I had a meeting with Robert Whittaker, head of Streetscene at Kirklees Council, on Monday (Jan 26) to discuss when we can put in for planning permission and when we can put it out to tender.

“We also want to hold a public meeting for local people to voice their concerns and find out what improvements they would like to see done to the site. We have all been working our socks off to get to this stage so I hope we don’t have too many dissenters!

“It’s a lot of money and we need to spend it wisely and we are very mindful of the fact.”

Howard said £85,000 had been raised so far and added: “It’s an incredible amount to have raised from a standing start. Quite astonishing.

“People have been unbelievably enthusiastic and put in a huge amount of work on the project. All Isaac’s friends and young people around here are very excited about the park and are looking forward to using it. Local councillors have been very supportive.”

The Isaac Nash Trust also hopes to raise £10,000 for the RNLI.

At an inquest in Wales last week senior coroner Dewi Pritchard was told how Isaac’s grandfather Paul desperately tried to save his grandson but the tide ripped him from his grip.

The coroner recorded a misadventure verdict.