Floral and football tributes to murdered security guard Gary Stanley one week on from centre:mk stabbing
Tributes have continued to murdered security guard Gary Stanley, one week on from his fatal stabbing while on duty at centre:mk.
Mr Stanley, 52, was fatally wounded at the shopping centre at just after 5pm on Saturday February 28, in an incident that left the city shocked and saddened.
Centre:mk was closed until Monday March 2 while police investigations took place, and since then hundreds of floral tributes and pictures have been left inside the building.
A book of condolence has been left in the centre:mk’s Guest Services Lounge and has been filled with messages of sympathy.
Tributes continued during Milton Keynes Dons' League Two match against Harrogate Town at stadium:mk on Saturday March 7, a fixture dubbed as the club’s Community Day, which more than 23,000 people in attendance.
In the 52nd minute, supporters around the ground stood and applauded as a tribute to Mr Stanley.
The Citizen has been told that the club’s fan engagement officer also invited 33 members of Mr Stanley’s family to attend the fixture.
Rory Wilson, 50, of St Lawrence Road South in Towcester has been charged with one count of murder and one count of possessing a knife in a public place in connection with Mr Stanley’s death.
Wilson appeared via video link at Aylesbury Crown Court on March 4, and was remanded in custody with a date of June 1 set for his next court appearance.
Following Mr Stanley’s death, the Security Industry Federation, a trade union which represents thousands of security workers, has led campaigns for assaulting a security worker to be made a stand-alone offence, similar to the offence of assaulting an emergency worker.
They are also calling for it to be a mandatory requirement for personal protective equipment, such as stab vests and body-worn cameras to be worn by personnel on duty.
The organisation’s general secretary Daniel Garnham said: "People are up in arms about how it's going to happen again.
"It's heightened that anxiety and tension among security workers.
"What I'm getting from my members is that violence against them has escalated."
In response a Home Office spokesperson said: "Criminal behaviour directed towards anyone, including security workers and other public-facing workers, will not be tolerated."