Friends and family remember Alan Cartwright on 16th birthday

Alan Cartwright (Image: Archant)

Friends and family of Alan Cartwright joined more than a hundred cyclists who took part in a ride from Brighton to London in memory of the teenager on Saturday.

Alan was just 15 when he was stabbed to death while cycling up Caledonian Road with friends on February 27.

The weekend’s 70-mile ride was organised by Alan’s older sister Cherrie Smith to help raise awareness of the effects of knife crime and to celebrate what would have been her brother’s 16th birthday.

Many of Alan’s friends made the ride from Brighton – a trip

he had planned to make

to raise money for the British Heart Foundation – while others joined at meeting points on the way before arriving at Caledonian Park.

Hundreds of well-wishers also attended a party in Alan’s honour after the bike ride.

Thanking those who took

part and raised hundreds of pounds towards a headstone for her brother, Miss Smith wrote: “Thank you to everyone who made Al’s birthday as great as it could be! I’m so proud to see how much fun and joy we all had on Saturday especially for little Al. Thank you everyone.”

More than 100 people posted birthday wishes for Alan on a Facebook page set up in his memory over the weekend.

Sharon Mcmahon wrote: “Must be such a hard day for your family and friends today happy birthday young man the cally will never forget you, your memory will live on. God bless.”

After the long journey riders joined Alan’s family in Caledonian Park at 6pm for food and music in memory of the teen who “loved his bikes”.

So far two 18-year-olds have been charged in relation to Alan’s death – the first with murder and conspiracy to rob and the second with conspiracy to rob.