Friends rally round to save wedding reception after Tipton mosque bombing

Gemma Myring and husband Lee had married in Zante last month and were booked in to have their reception at Tipton Sports and Social Club.

But when police swooped on the neighbouring mosque she feared her plans of a celebratory event with friends and family would have to be cancelled.

Luckily their family pulled together and found her an alternative venue.

On Friday morning Mrs Myring had headed to the club on Sedgley Road East to get the room ready for her special day.

She dressed the tables with all the crockery and decorations, erected a balloon arch, decorated the room, and set her wedding cake up. Then she headed back home to prepare for the celebration.

The couple who have five children together had married in the sunshine on the Greek isle on June 26, and the reception was a chance to celebrate their nuptials with those who could not attend the ceremony.

Mrs Myring, aged 30 said: "We had a wonderful wedding, and were really excited about our reception. It was all prepared."

But then just after 1pm, she heard the bang of the bomb exploding at the nearby Kanz-ul-Iman Muslim Welfare Association Central Jamia Mosque in Binfield Street.

She said: "It sounded like a skip being dropped, and I went out to see if I could see anything, but it all seemed normal."

The full-time mother, who lives in Victoria Road with her 33-year-old factory worker husband, said it was her mother Jill Haycock who told her what had happened.

She said: "As soon as I heard we ran out and down the street and begged the police to escort me through so I could get my cake and the plates, but they wouldn't let me. I was crying and so upset. I thought everything was ruined."

But Mrs Myring's family and friends rallied round to find the couple another venue.

Luckily the food and alcohol was Mrs Haycock's home, so the couple's initial plan was to have the reception in Victoria Park. But council bosses said they could have the party, but no alcohol would be allowed.

Then Mrs Myring's stepfather Kenneth Haycock phoned the Hayes Social Club on Dudley Road and luckily they had a room free. With two hours to go until the reception the couple had to try and get hold of the guests to tell them of the change of venue.

The pair called on Asda Great Bridge to see if they could buy a replacement cake, and after hearing the couple's story, the store kindly donated a cake and paper plates for the reception.

Mrs Myring's close friend Nicola Henry who runs Nic's Bargain Flowers and Hire Services was planning to hold a candy cart at the reception, but she couldn't get the cart to the new venue. So instead she set up a sweet table and put together decorations for the new venue to make it special.

Mrs Myring said: "I am so grateful to everyone that helped us. It was so stressful and I was so upset, but in the end it all worked out. We had a fantastic evening, and everyone had so much fun."

Mrs Myring said the terrorists did not only nearly ruined her wedding reception, but also left dozens of people out on the streets. She said: "I am so glad no one was injured, and we must be thankful for that. It was bad enough for me but there were lots of elderly people, and people with children who could not return home that night. I am just disgusted that someone could do that."

Police are still investigating the suspected nail bomb which exploded at the mosque on Friday afternoon.

The blast which resulted in nails and debris flying into nearby buildings, happened at around 1pm when there should have hundreds of people inside the mosque – but the first Friday prayers of Ramadan had been put back by an hour so there were just three people present at the site.