Olivia Pratt-Korbel: Mayor offers support and mourners wear splash of pink on day of funeral

The Mayor of Liverpool has offered her ‘prayers, love and support’ to the family of murdered schoolgirl Olivia Pratt-Korbel.

In a statement, Joanne Anderson described the nine-year-old’s murder as a ‘crime beyond belief’.

She said: “A life of innocence, devastatingly taken in the place where she was safest - home. Today we offer our prayers, love and support to Olivia’s family as they lay her to rest. Let us hope justice is swift and true.”

The funeral mass for the schoolgirl, who was shot at her home in Dovecot, Liverpool, took place at 11am on Thursday at St Margaret Mary’s Church in Knotty Ash.

A notice from the family requested all those attending wore a splash of pink.

Pupils at St Margaret Mary’s Junior School, next to the church, also wore pink to remember their classmate, headteacher Rebecca Wilkinson said.

She said: “We were mindful of the fact that the children had to take some sort of role today, in spite of the fact that they’re not going to the church.

“The wishes of the family in church were that everyone wear a splash of pink so today in school the children are all wearing a splash of pink.

“We have got pink hearts in the windows facing the main road, we have got pink ribbons on the fence.”

Each of the 480 pupils at the school will be creating a flower which will form part of a memorial for Olivia, Mrs Wilkinson said.

And school uniform rules will be relaxed to allow nail varnish.

Mrs Wilkinson said: “One of the amazing memories that the class teacher and children shared was one day Olivia came to school wearing pink nail varnish and she spent the whole day hiding her hands so that I wouldn’t see the fact she was wearing pink nail varnish.

“So for that reason, as well as a splash of pink, we have said that the children can wear pink nail varnish today if they so wish.”

Police are continuing to hunt or the gunman who chased convicted burglar Joseph Nee into Olivia’s family home at about 22:00 on August 22.

Olivia died from a gunshot wound to her chest and her mother Cheryl Korbel, 46, was injured.

On Wednesday, founder of charity Crimestoppers Lord Ashcroft offered a £50,000 reward for information leading to the conviction of those responsible for her death.