Killed soldier Lee Rigby would not have wanted his death used to excuse reprisal attacks, his family have said.
Drummer Rigby’s family called for calm as the Queen met army personnel during a visit to the barracks near to where he was killed on 22 May. In a statement his family said his friends’ different cultures and religions “made no difference to Lee”.
The family’s plea came amid reports of a rise in anti-Muslim incidents since the soldier’s murder last week.
Drummer Rigby’s family said his death had had a “devastating effect” on them but said the “generosity, kindness and sympathy expressed by everyone we have come into contact with has been truly staggering and is giving us the strength to carry on”.
In a statement from the dead soldier’s family added: “We would like to emphasise that Lee would not want people to use his name as an to carry out attacks against others. We would not wish any other families to go through this harrowing experience and appeal to everyone to keep calm and show their respect in a peaceful manner.”