IN PICTURES: Wigan school unveils mural in memory of five-year-old pupil Holly Prince

A new mural has been painted on a wall at Hindley Green Community Primary School as a lasting tribute to five-year-old Holly Prince.

It was created by Wigan dad Scott Wilcock, who runs Snow Graffiti, and depicts Holly as a superhero.

She was born with Bloom syndrome, an extremely rare genetic disorder which put her at greater risk of getting cancer, and died on April 8, 2022 after being diagnosed with the disease three times.

Her parents Mark and Jenny Prince, brother Jack, nine, and sister Evie, 11, were invited to the school on the last day of term – but had no idea about the mural.

Mark, from Hindley, said: “We knew they were doing a memorial for Holly but thought it would be a plaque on the wall or a bench. Never in a million years did we think they would put something on the building.

"It took us by surprise and we were overwhelmed by it all.”

The mural features superheroes and the logo for Holly’s Hearts – a charity set up by her parents to help other children with cancer – and pupils will pass it as they move from reception to the part of the school where older children are taught.

A bench and a holly bush have also been placed in a garden at the school in Holly’s memory.

Mark said: “I’m taken aback by it all. It’s amazing what they have done. It was really emotional.”

Staff and pupils at the Thomas Street school dressed as superheroes and princesses on the day and made donations to Holly’s Hearts, repeating the theme used for a fund-raising event shortly after Holly died.

Principal Tim Mooney said: “Holly was a really important part of our school and our community. When we did our superhero and princess day last year, the children came to me asking if we could make it a yearly thing in memory of Holly. It seemed very fitting and it was a lovely way to remember her.”

He said Holly would “always be part of our amazing Hindley Green family” and the mural meant there was a permanent tribute to her.

"I thought it was a really lovely way to celebrate Holly’s life, but also give us a lasting legacy so that Holly’s memory lives on forever,” he said.