FEW people have forgotten the tragedy which claimed the life of little Lelaina Hall last June.

The five-year-old was drowned by the incoming tide after becoming stranded on the mudflats at Burnham-on-Sea.

We can only guess what torture her family has been through in the period since.

Time's a great healer, but those who've had their lives ripped apart by similar losses will tell you that years ease the pain, not months.

So, we imagine, the emotions of mum Caroline and her partner Laurence Boyle - who risked his life trying to rescue Lelaina - will have been very raw as they watched the unveiling of a new hovercraft and boathouse at the scene of the tragedy, today.

As you might expect, the first return to the place where a loved one has died is often very difficult - even if it can be cathartic too. However, something else will give them an equal boost.

Today, we pay tribute to the folk of the West Country. They were so shocked by Lelaina's death that, in days, they raised £35,000 to meet the Western Daily Press's crusade to buy a rescue hovercraft - and then carried on giving until more than £100,000 was in the newspaper's fund.

"It's been difficult, obviously, but I wanted to do something special," said Ms Hall. "This is a good legacy."

It's that and more. Just as Worcestershire took the family of murdered French girl Celine Figard to their hearts, and restored some faith in human kindness, so the community in and around Burnham has set an example we can all follow this fresh, new year.