Ball to remember Craig Hodson-Walker raises £4k

More than £4,000 was raised at a charity ball in memory of a post office worker shot dead during an attempted robbery near Stourbridge.

A glitzy event held at the Hilton Hotel in Bromsgrove was organised by Craig Hodson-Walker's family and the National Federation of Retail Newsagents.

Mr Hodson-Walker, aged 29, was shot through the heart at his family's post office and general stores in Fairfield, in January.

Three men were jailed for his murder and the attempted murder of Mr Hodson-Walker's father Ken, who was shot in the leg, in December last year.

The ball was described as a celebration of Mr Hodson-Walker's life and was attended by more than 200 people including his parents Judy and Ken. The money raised from the event is still be counted but organisers hope to reach the £5,000 mark. Anne Bingham, from the NFRN, said everyone was delighted with the sum.

It will be shared between Victim Support, the national charity for victims and witnesses of crime in England and Wales and the NewstrAid Benevolent Fund, which supports individuals in the distribution section of the newspaper and magazine publishing industry.

Speaking at the event the NFRN Immediate Past President Suleman Khonat said: "Craig's death shocked and appalled not just the community of Fairfield, but the whole country.

Here was a devoted son, first class sub postmaster and a dedicated, energetic and fun loving young man who brought so much to the local community, taking pride in his job and providing customers with a service that was second to none, Sadly Craig paid the ultimate price for protecting his loved ones."

In December last year three men were jailed for Mr Hodson-Walker's murder and the attempted murder of his father Ken, who was shot in the leg during the bungled raid.

The tragedy sent a shockwave through the village as residents struggled to come to terms with the loss of one of their own. Mr Hodson-Walker, described as a "well-liked and much-loved man", had become engaged to teaching assistant Lisa Bundy just weeks before the raid.