Flowers were laid at the scene of the tragic incident to pay their last respects to the “unique” man

Sincere condolences have been paid to a “unique” man who died in an incident at a railway station in County Durham.

Following an incident on 4 June, bouquets of flowers, notes and balloons were left at Chester-le-Street station.

British Transport Police had previously confirmed the death of a man whose name is now known locally and online as Ben Whiteman.

In addition, hundreds of photographs were pinned to the brickwork next to the station, along with a license plate reading “RIP Ben,” candles and drawings.

Ben was described online as a “dear friend of many” – friends and family said he was “one of a kind” and always had “a big smile on his face when he walked into the room”.

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A GoFundMe page has now been set up with the aim of coming together as a community and “offering some support to Ben’s family during this unimaginably difficult time.”

Last night they were close to reaching their £10,000 target – and many people online praised the “incredible generosity” of the public following the tragic incident.

The Northern Echo had previously reported that police and paramedics were called to the station at around 10:45 p.m. on June 4. The trains then stopped for several hours.

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Whatever you are going through, you don’t have to go through it alone. Call the Samaritans free on 116 123, email [email protected] or visit www.samaritans.org for more information.

When life gets tough, the Samaritans are there for you – day and night, 365 days a year. You can call them free on 116 123, email them at [email protected] or visit www.samaritans.org for more information.