A SERIES of memorial events are being held this week to mark the 10th anniversary of the tragic deaths of apprentice jockeys Jamie Kyne and Jan Wilson.

The teenagers died in a flat fire at Buckrose Court in Norton on September 5, 2009.

Jamie, who was 18, was from Galway in Ireland, and Jan, 19, from the Scottish town of Forfar.

The blaze was started by Peter Brown, who is serving an indeterminate prison sentence for manslaughter.

More than £100,000 was also raised in the aftermath of the fire to help young people working in the racing industry in the area.

The funding enabled charity Racing Welfare to redevelop a property in Old Maltongate, Malton, to provide housing for stable staff aged 16 to 24, an office for the charity’s regional welfare officers and a hub for the town’s racing community.

Princess Anne, who is president of Racing Welfare, officially opened the new facility and unveiled a special plaque in February 2015.

A memorial bench was also provided by Racing Welfare and placed behind the Derwent Arms pub in Norton, as a place for people to remember Jamie and Jan.

The bench will be the focus of a memorial service on Sunday.

Father Tim Bywater, parish priest of St Leonard RC Church, in Malton, said the fire had been a great shock to local people.

“As the news broke there was a real sense of dismay and disbelief,” he said.

“It soon became clear to a lot of people that something needed to be done to support young people in the racing industry and out of that came the new facility in Malton.

“From such tragic events came a focus on the fact that young people starting out in racing needed better support and opportunities.”

Paul Lodge, former welfare officer at Racing Welfare, said: “I have difficult memories from the fire that took the lives of Jamie and Jan Wilson at this time 10 years on. Those two young lives were tragically taken in the fire and for those that survived, their lives also devastated too.

“I remember the intensity of how this event shocked people locally and nationally and how supporting those affected in the aftermath helped survivors and their families to restart building their lives.”

To commemorate the 10th anniversary St Leonard’s Church will also be open tomorrow (Thursday) from 6pm to 7pm, for people to go and privately remember the two young people and a memorial mass will be held at 7pm on Friday.

A short service to remember Jamie and Jan will also be held at the memorial bench at 2pm on Sunday. Everyone is welcome to attend all the services.