The tragic loss of four young lives at Babbs Mill has devastated our community. Four boys, aged six, eight, 10, and 11 were taken from their families. My thoughts, my prayers, and my feelings of solemn sadness are with the families of those boys as they bear the most dreadful loss imaginable.
We have seen this week that that which we hold most dear can be so fragile, so easily lost, but we have also seen great fortitude - in the response of that tight-knit community as they gathered to support each other, to share their grief, and to be together at a time when it is easy to feel alone.
We have also seen that strength in the response of our emergency services, not least the police and fire service personnel who, along with local residents, put their own lives at risk in their attempts to save the boys, and have since conducted themselves with incredible and inspiring dignity as they continued their searches in the days that followed. They, and the ambulance and hospital staff who treated their young patients, have once again shown themselves to be the best of us, and I commend them in the strongest possible terms.
I have nothing else to add, as there can be no more to say. It is customary for me to end this message by wishing you all a good weekend, this time I think it is only appropriate to wish you a safe weekend with those you love.
Cllr Ian Courts, Leader of Solihull Council.