More than 2,000 people have now bought gold ribbons in memory of Eastern Bypass crash victims Liam Hastings and Josh Bartlett.

Jack Hastings, 12, whose brother Liam died in the Eastern Bypass tragedy, surveys the memorial garden being created at Oxford Community School

Liam, Josh and their friend Marshall Haynes died when the car they were travelling in veered across the bypass and collided with a car being driven by Oxford Brookes student Howard Hillsdon, who was also killed.

The ribbons made by Liam's mother Sam, his aunt Emma Webb-Hale and other family members and friends have been on sale since October last year.

Money raised is going towards the creation of a memorial garden at Oxford Community School where the two 13-year-old boys were pupils.

The garden will also commemorate the life of former Oxford Community School pupil Arash Ghorbani-Zarin who was murdered in a so called honour killing in November 2004.

The ribbons are being sold for a minimum donation of £1 each, and other events, including a memorial disco and an auction, have raised a further £1,300.

Oxford Community School has also raised £1,000, meaning the fund is now half way to reaching the £8,000 to £10,000 target. Mrs Hastings said she was overwhelmed by the way the community had shown its support.

She said: "The kindness of people is beyond words. Everybody is so generous and it touches me when I see the ribbons being worn out and about."

As well as input from families of the boys who lost their lives, pupils are also being asked to put forward ideas for things they would like to see featured in the garden. Ideas being considered include a mural reflecting the boys' love for sport, and three large memorial rocks. A central water feature is also a possibility.

Oxford Community School teacher Sue Watkins said: "The children want to help out with the creation of the garden. The reason we chose this particular area is because that is where we put the memory boards up after the boys died and it is a nice peaceful spot.

"We are not going to start doing anything until we know there are not going to be any more frosts, but we want it all planned by the end of February and the aim is to start in March."

The goal is to have the garden finished in time for an official opening on Friday, May 26, two days before the first anniversary of the accident.

Liam's 12-year-old brother Jack started at Oxford Community School last September. He said: "It is going to be really nice in the summer and when I get stressed I can go outside and sit down and think of my brother and the other people that died in the crash.

"The three boys that died are all special people and everyone misses them a lot. No one is more important than anyone else so it is good that the garden will remember everyone."

Josh's brother Tyrone Bartlett, 15, who also attends Oxford Community School, said: "Josh and Liam were popular people and it will be a nice place to go and think and talk about them with my friends."

Korosh Ghorbani-Zarin, brother of Arash, said: "It comforts us and it makes us think that people are still thinking of us and my brother Arash. It shows that he will be remembered forever."