United in grief: Brave survivor Owen leads silent tribute to Tunisia massacre victims

Comforting his mother, the brave 16-year-old joined a special service at Walsall's Banks's Stadium to remember his brother, uncle and grandfather who were among the 30 British holidaymakers murdered on the beach.

For a full picture gallery and video from yesterday's silent tribute click here

The nation united at noon with the Queen and David Cameron taking part in the minute's silence that was observed across the UK to remember those who died in Sousse a week earlier including Owen's 19-year-old brother Joel, uncle Adrian Evans, aged 49, and grandad Patrick Evans, who was 78.

All four were devoted Saddlers fans and it was at Banks's that Owen, wearing a club shirt, and his mother Suzanne observed the silence joined by the Walsall FC family who mourned the loss of three of its own.

Thousands of people also paid tribute at Sandwell Council House in Oldbury where Adrian, of Bilston, worked.

A referee's whistle signalled the start and end of the silence in Walsall in tribute to University of Worcester student Joel, who officiated matches in the Black Country.

Owen, Joel, Adrian and Patrick had travelled to London for their beloved side's first ever appearance at Wembley for the Johnstone's Paint Trophy final in March. They had arrived in Tunisia just a day before the atrocity.

Walsall fans have rallied around the family following the tragedy and have been largely responsible for raising thousands of pounds through online campaigns.

Saddlers manager Dean Smith and the first team squad joined supporters outside the ground in paying their respects.

The hundreds of scarves, shirts and bouquets of flowers that have been placed outside the ground by Walsall fans and supporters of other clubs this week are to be moved to the family home in Wednesbury.

Suzanne Richards said in a statement earlier this week that the family had been overwhelmed with the floods of tributes since last week's tragic events.

At the same time Sandwell Council, where Adrian worked for more than 30 years, came to a standstill as workers of all departments, from office staff wearing suits to road workers in high-visibility jackets, came together to remember him.The masses of council workers swelled the crowd outside the council house in Freeth Street to more than 2,000. Members of the public who felt compelled to pay their respects also stood outside the council building.

Council leader Darren Cooper delivered a rousing speech following the minute's silence in which he condemned the actions of gunman Seifeddine Rezgui and vowed British way of life would not be impacted by acts of terrorism. He said: "We stand shoulder to shoulder in the face of adversity. And we will never, ever, allow terrorists and twisted ideologists to divide us and our communities. We will stay together – and we will win together.

"We will defeat the barbarians who use violence and terror to try to intimidate us. Our values of tolerance, of decency, of respect for all – for humanity – will always prevail."

Councillor Cooper's message was applauded by those who had come to pay their respects and he said that it was a 'sad, sad fact' that he had needed to address them at the service.

He added: "But we all want to demonstrate that Adrian Evans was one of our own.

"Words struggle to capture the revulsion we all feel at his untimely death so far away from home – and those of his father and nephew."

The Wimbledon tennis championships stopped to honour the dead during the minute of remembrance, with play delayed by an hour until 12.30pm to allow players and spectators to take part.

Wolves players also interrupted pre-season training to stand together and remember the victims.

The Tunisian Prime Minister joined holidaymakers at the scene of the attack in Sousse, which only a week earlier had been filled with sunbathing Britons.

The tributes came as the British victims continued to be repatriated.

Patrick Evans, Adrian Evans and Joel Richards were among the first of the victims to return home on Wednesday and another flight was due to land at RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire today.