THE mother of a Bangor teenager who died on Boxing Day has called for a skate park to be built in his memory.
Hazel Frost, 45, has teamed up with friends of her son Darren (pictured) in the bid.
And, since being posted on Darren’s Facebook tribute page by Hazel last Friday, the idea has snowballed with fundraisers and a petition in the pipeline.
Hazel said: “A skate park is something Darren always wanted and he always said that there was nowhere to go in Bangor.
“The youngsters are not looking for somewhere to invade other people’s space, they just want somewhere that they can call their own.
“They’re our future and they’re just being totally ignored.”
She added: “His friends are just amazing people and they really need to be given a lot more respect.
“It’s given me the incentive to make a fuss over this and fight until we get what we want.
“I’m not going to back down and I know it’s something my son would have wanted.”
The former Ysgol Friars pupil was killed following a collision in Shrewsbury as he cycled home from work and Nicola Williams, 19, said: “Our friend Darren died and we want something to remember him by as he was a true friend and he was a credit to Bangor.
“Darren was a skateboarder and I know he would have loved a skate park in Bangor; we are hoping to make this skate park a memorial place for Darren, somewhere were teenagers won’t get moved on and where we can go to remember Darren.”
Nicola, who is pregnant, added: “In Bangor the teenagers here have nowhere that they are able to just hang out and be teenagers.
“All of us agree that there’s just nothing here - I love Bangor, I really do love it and I don’t want to leave but I don’t want my child to get to the age of 14 and have nowhere to go.”
A Gwynedd Council spokesman said: “Working with young people to provide suitable activities and recreational opportunities is a priority for the council, and Gwynedd Council’s local regeneration officer for the Bangor and Ogwen area is happy to meet to discuss possible proposals for the future.
“We would also note that work is currently ongoing to develop multi-user paths to link green areas around Bangor with the city centre as part of the Môn a Menai funded Lôn Adda project.”