Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Submit Guest Post

Tributes paid to two teenage brothers from Dewsbury who drowned in Lancashire sea

Pramod Thomas
By Pramod ThomasAug 17, 2020
Pramod Thomas

Pramod Thomas is an assistant editor at Eastern Eye, where he covers British Asian affairs and key developments in UK politics and business. With two decades of journalism experience, his areas of interest include business, international affairs, current events, arts and culture. 

See Full Bio
Follow:

TRIBUTES have been paid to two teenage brothers from Dewsbury whose bodies were found after they went missing off the Lancashire coast last weekend.

Muhammad Azhar Shabbir, 18, and Ali Athar Shabbir, 16, got into difficulty in the sea at St Annes along with their cousin while on day trip last Saturday (15).

While the 15-year-old cousin managed to swim ashore and was treated for hypothermia, the bodies of Muhammad Azhar and Ali Athar were recovered last Sunday (16).

A family spokesperson said in a statement:"Everyone is absolutely devastated by what has happened to Muhammad Azhar and Ali Athar.

“The boys were extremely well liked and a promising future has tragically been cut short. We strongly urge everyone to respect the family at this extremely difficult time and allow them the necessary time and space to grieve.No further comment will be made."

Head teacher Samantha Vickers told the BBC: “We're absolutely devastated as a community to lose two of our young men.

"I've been inundated with messages from staff and students alike. These were two really popular young men, intelligent, respectful, well-mannered and family oriented.

"It's a huge loss this, people are really reeling from the shock and finding it hard to believe."

Lancashire Police said, “Our thoughts and condolences remain with them and their friends at this incredibly distressing time.”

brothers drownlancashire coast
Add EasternEye As Your Trusted Source
preferred source on google news

Related News

Healthcare workers hold placards as they demonstrate on Westminster Bridge, near to St Thomas' Hospital in London on May 1, 2023. (Photo: Getty Images)
News

Teachers, nurses warn of strikes over 2.8 per cent pay rise proposal

EasternEye
A man walks past a mural that says ‘Northern Ireland’, on Sandy Row in Belfast, Northern Ireland, August 11, 2024. (Photo: Reuters)
News

Northern Ireland approves extension of post-Brexit trade rules

EasternEye
Harmeet Dhillon gives a benediction at the end of the first day of the 2024 Republican National Convention at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on July 15, 2024. (Photo: Getty Images)
News

Trump nominates Harmeet Dhillon for top Department of Justice role

EasternEye

More For You

Pension

Bereaved families are waiting for Civil Service Pension Scheme payments as delays raise concerns over a two-year tax deadline

iStock

Civil service pension backlog puts bereaved families at risk of ‘death tax’

  • More than 1,600 bereavement and death-in-service cases were over 100 days old at the end of September.
  • Some pension death-benefit lump sums must be paid within two years of a scheme being notified of a death to qualify for tax-free treatment.
  • The government says compensation may be available if administrative delays cause a tax charge.

Bereaved families waiting for civil service pension payments could face an unexpected tax bill because of delays in processing death benefits, according to reporting by BBC Radio 4’s Money Box.

The issue centers on a two-year deadline for certain pension lump sums. Under HM Revenue and Customs rules, where a person dies before age 75, a lump-sum death benefit is generally tax-free only if it is paid within two years of the pension scheme first becoming aware of the death and the payment falls within the relevant tax allowance.

Keep ReadingShow less