United in grief: Distraught family and widow of murdered soldier Lee Rigby visit street where he died one day after his new fiancée flew home from Afghanistan to pay her own personal tribute

Rigby's mother Lyn, stepfather Ian and estranged wife Rebecca visited
Three hours after their visit a man in his 20s was stabbed in Woolwich
Rigby's fiancée Aimee West also lay flowers near Woolwich barracks
Describes Lee Rigby as her 'guardian angel who'll always have my heart'
Royal Military Policewoman flew back from Afghanistan to make tribute
Drummer Rigby hacked to death in south-east London on Wednesday
Fellow soldiers also arrive to place floral tributes at the scene

PUBLISHED: 19:51 EST, 25 May 2013 | UPDATED: 13:11 EST, 26 May 2013

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With pain etched on their faces, the family of murdered British soldier Lee Rigby today paid an emotional visit to the scene where he was hacked to death.

Drummer Rigby's mother Lyn, stepfather Ian and estranged wife Rebecca looked at the thousands of tributes in Woolwich and left a balloon from his two-year-old son Jack saying 'Dad in a million'.

The relatives arrived at the place where he was killed at 12.40pm. They hugged and comforted each other before crossing the road to look at the spot where he was murdered on Wednesday.

One clutched a teddy bear, while others held baskets of flowers which they left at the scene. They then spent a few moments in reflection, still clutching each other.

And among the masses of poignant messages left in south-east London, one very personal message was placed separately yesterday. Aimee West, his fiancée, laid flowers with a handwritten note.

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Trauma: The family of Drummer Lee Rigby visit the scene of his death in Woolwich, south-east London, to see the flowers and leave their own tributes. His mother and stepfather, Lyn and Ian, are pictured

Looking on: Rebecca Rigby, wife of Drummer Lee Rigby, is accompanied by a relative as she clutches a pig-shaped pink toy as she looks at flowers left at the scene of his death

Support: Lyn Rigby (right), the mother of Lee Rigby, and his stepfather Ian (centre), look at floral tributes

Heart-wrenching: Lyn Rigby, mother of Drummer Lee Rigby, and his stepfather Ian, view the flowers on display

Reading: Rebecca Rigby (right) stands with her mother Sara McClure (second right, in front of floral tributes

Lyn Rigby, mother of Drummer Lee Rigby, holding a teddy bear joins other family members

Mascot: Lyn Rigby, mother of Drummer Lee Rigby, holds a teddy bear and stands with other family members

Reflective: Family members of Drummer Rigby leave after they looked at floral tributes in Woolwich

Observing: Lyn Rigby (holding teddy) is accompanied by Drummer Rigby's stepfather Ian. She had to be helped over the road to witness the exact site where her son was killed in south-east London

From the family: Flowers, pictures and a bottle of HP sauce believed to have been left by Sara, the sister of Drummer Rigby

'For my daddy': Flowers and a card tied to a wreath believed to have been left by the family of Drummer Rigby

Crying: Rebecca Rigby (second right), the estranged wife of Drummer Rigby, reacts with mother Sara McClure

Wife's words: A card attached to a lamp-post (left) and another with flowers (right) were left by Rebecca Rigby

Personal tribute: A framed set of four pictures and a bottle of HP Sauce believed to have been left by Sara, the sister of soldier Drummer Lee Rigby

In it, she said that Rigby will 'always have her heart' and that he was her 'guardian angel', before signing it off as his 'Princess'.

Miss West, 22, who had flown back to the UK from Afghanistan, wore a green hooded top and an engagement ring as she took her time to read the tributes to her murdered partner.

She was helped with the tribute by around 20 friends, who stood quietly as she paid her respects.

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The Sunday Mirror reported that she has told friends: 'Lee was the love of my life. I don’t know how I can go on without him.'

Around three hours after the family's visit today, a man in his 20s was stabbed in broad daylight at 4pm, less than 1,000ft from where Drummer Rigby was executed in Woolwich.

Police are at the scene in central Woolwich but Scotland Yard said the violent assault was not linked to the terror attack last week. The person was not thought to have suffered life-threatening injuries.

Rigby, 25, was killed last Wednesday near to his barracks in Woolwich, south-east London.

Emotional: Aimee West, the fiancee of murdered soldier Lee Rigby, steps forward to pay her own special tribute

Devastated: Miss West, 22, who had flown back to the UK from Afghanistan, wore a green hooded top as she took her time to read the tributes to her murdered partner

Note: Miss West left this message for Lee Rigby, saying he was her 'guardian angel' and she was his 'Princess'

Group: She was helped with the tribute by around 20 friends, who stood quietly as she paid her respects

Proposal: Miss West, 22, was wearing her engagement ring when she went to lay flowers for her late fiancé

Remembrance: The death has sparked a public outpouring of grief, with hundreds of bunches of flowers, teddy bears, poems and tributes to the father of one left near the scene of the crime by Woolwich Barracks

Raw: The emotion became all too much yesterday for murdered soldier Lee Rigby's fiancée Miss West, 22

Flowers: Miss West was said to have been with Drummer Rigby for two years, and he had recently proposed

Mourning: Miss West was joined by 20 friends and relatives as she looked at the tributes to Drummer Rigby

Helping her through: Miss West is comforted as she reads some of the tributes laid for Drummer Lee Rigby

Tears: Miss West wept uncontrollably while visiting the spot where Lee Rigby was brutally hacked to death

The two men who are alleged to have committed the crime, who have been identified as Michael Adebolajo, 28, and Michael Oluwatobi Adebowale, remain in hospital after being shot by police after charging at officers in the aftermath.

AIMEE'S TRIBUTE TO LEE

'My gorgeous, wonderful, loving fiance you will always have my heart and I know you will always be my guardian angel watching over me. Rest in peace baby. All my love forever and ever, your Princess xxxx'

A friend of Miss West, who serves as a Royal Military Policewoman, told the Sunday Mirror: 'They met about two years ago and he proposed to her recently. I don’t think she will ever take that ring off.

'They have been in regular contact with each other while she was away. She was in a terrible state when she was told about Lee. That visit to Woolwich was so important.'

Last respects: Soldiers salute murdered British soldier Lee Rigby at the site where he met his death last week.

Tribute: Many of the soldiers carried red and white hackles, which are famously worn by members of the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers

Round of applause: Soldiers gave a show of hands as they viewed the ever-increasing volume of floral tributes to Drummer Lee Rigby

Members of the armed forces place floral tributes in Woolwich, south east London

Show of solidarity: Soldiers gave a show of hands in honour of Drummer Rigby, and placed their own floral tributes at the site where Drummer Rigby died

In memory: Members of the armed forces place floral tributes in Woolwich, south east London at the site where Drummer Lee Rigby died

Support: Miss West's friends and relatives were distraught as the 22-year-old paid tribute to Drummer Rigby

Weeping: A group of around 20 friends and relatives accompanied Miss West as she lay flowers yesterday

Death: Drummer Rigby, 25, was killed last Wednesday near to his barracks in Woolwich, south-east London

Backing: Members of Britain's Nigerian community gave their support to Drummer Rigby's family yesterday. The two suspects in the killing, Michael Adebolajo and Michael Adebowale, both have family links with Nigeria

Backing: Members of Britain's Nigerian community gave support to Drummer Rigby's family. The two suspects in the killing, Michael Adebolajo and Michael Adebowale, both have family links with Nigeria. Adebolajo was born in Britain to a Nigerian immigrant family and Adebowale is a naturalised British citizen born in Nigeria

Flowers and banners: The death has sparked a public outpouring of grief as members of the public paid tribute

Photos and words: One of the tributes left for Drummer Rigby said 'Once a Fusilier - Always a Fusilier'

England's finest: A cross of St George - the patron saint of the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers - is draped over the floral tributes

On Friday, his mother Lyn, stepfather Ian and estranged wife Rebecca, took part in an similarly emotional press conference where they paid a glowing tribute to a man who 'would do anything for anybody.'

'They met about two years ago and he proposed to her recently. I don’t think she will ever take that ring off'

Friend of Aimee West, Lee Rigby's fiancée

Mrs Rigby - with whom he had a son, Jack - revealed last Friday that she and her husband were due to meet at the weekend to discuss their future, before his life was cut short.

His death has sparked a public outpouring of grief, with hundreds of bunches of flowers, teddy bears, poems and tributes to the father of one left near the scene of the crime by Woolwich Barracks.

Many of the tributes came from veterans, fellow service personnel and their families. One notecard left at the scene said: 'To a brave young soldier, God bless, rest in peace, from an old soldier.'

Aimee West lays flowers at Woolwich barracks with friends

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R.i.p Lee you will be in all our hearts forever

- Jennym , Yorks, United Kingdom, 26/5/2013 14:20

Click to rate Rating 442

Why, when anything happens do the media have to delve into a persons private and personnal life. Lee Rigby was slaughtered by the 2 persons, who were brainwashed by vile propagander. This propagander is no friend to anyone, especially the Islamic religion and its followers. Those in this country who are using this as an excuse to attack Islam, its followers and Islamic property have no place in this country and are as vile as the persons who brainwashed the 2 suspects of killing Lee. It does appear that all sections of the community have come out against this action and by unity we shall over come all the vile persons within this country.

- Chris Sterry , Sheffield, United Kingdom, 26/5/2013 14:20

Click to rate Rating 699

It really is a step too far, to keep highlighting his personal life. It detracts from the other issues and overlooks the fact that ALL of the people in his life love him. I do hope that the lad is allowed to rest in peace, and that this does not become a media circus with either side selling their story. There is a lot to be said for a dignified silence. Time to let them grieve in peace now.

- Aitch , Hereford, 26/5/2013 14:16

Click to rate Rating 1147

DM: don't stir things up about a PRIVATE life. There is enough grief here. Thank you.

- Hereward , Copenhagen, 26/5/2013 14:14

Click to rate Rating 1471

He' was not a lad he was a man. His private life was of course as "normal" as many others. He was the innocent victim of a brutal murder. I do not agree with all of our foreign policy but to argue that an ordinary soldier is a legitimate target whilst he is on home soil and not in a battle zone is ludicrous. By the same twisted logic the powers that be could decide to have troops on the streets shooting jihadist protestors.

- jimbo , wirral, United Kingdom, 26/5/2013 14:09

Click to rate Rating 538

Is there really any need for the DM to keep writing 'hacked to death'. We all know that now, surely murdered is enough for the family to have to deal with.

- Northerngunner , Beverley, 26/5/2013 14:08

Click to rate Rating 789

People break up and move on. He had a lot of people in his life that loved him and who's lives have been shattered and hearts have been broken by this senseless brutal murder. I feel so sorry for all of them <3xx

- Sue-Only 1 England , NORTHOLT, United Kingdom, 26/5/2013 14:05

Click to rate Rating 629

Great to see the Nigerians standing up and being counted!!!

- Helen , Wales, 26/5/2013 14:03

Click to rate Rating 1026

I'd say that his private life was his business, of course his wife is devastated at his loss - she has his child to bring up alone and just because they are split up doesn't mean she hates him , just means that the love has gone they once felt for each other. But I think the media should allow privacy on the immediate grief all his friends and family must be feeling. The poor chap was murdered in cold blood it doesn't give anyone the right to speculate on his personal life. - June, Canvey Essex, 26/5/2013 11:59>>>>>>>>>>>>>erm, you just did!

- Mercedes , London, United Kingdom, 26/5/2013 14:02

Click to rate Rating 464

The army only officially recognise a spouse. Hence why the estranged wife was at the press conference and involved. She is the mother of his child and legally his next of kin. It is that simple. They were his family unit. However the army don't bring back people lightly. Especially not for people who are not immediate relatives. Hardly ever in fact. So this is an unofficial acknowledgement of the seriousness of the relationship with his fiancé. I think it should all be left for them to grieve in private.

- Ohreally , UK, 26/5/2013 14:00

Click to rate Rating 1156

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