A MEMORIAL has been unveiled to a Hampshire newsagent who was brutally murdered just yards from his front door.

Choudhry Zishan’s brutal killing, which happened just months before he was due to become a father for the second time, left the community he served heartbroken.

But now a Southampton funeral firm has created a lasting memorial for people to pay their respects to the 35-year-old.

Co-operative Funeralcare and Alcrest Memorials teamed up with stonemason Murray Brooks to make the headstone for free, which is now in South Stoneham Cemetery.

Choudhry’s younger brother Ali Fayyaz said his family was “overwhelmed” by the kind gesture.

Ali, who is one of Choudhry’s five siblings, said: “It was an extremely emotional thing for us to find out that the funeral directors wanted to do this.

“My mum still cries for Choudhry every day, it was and still is a very hard thing to come to terms with but we are so incredibly grateful for what the Co-op team has done."

Daily Echo:

Choudhry Zishan

He added: “Choudhry was loved by so many, and I work in the Eastleigh store now and still have so many people coming in to talk to us about him and share their memories of him so I think a lot of people will be really happy to know that there is a place they can go to lay flowers or talk to him and just spend some time remembering my brother.”

The headstone has been engraved with the word “shaheed” which is a Muslim term of respect for someone who has been killed too soon.

Chris Jordan from Co-op Funeralcare said: “This tragic crime had a huge effect on the local community and We wanted to play our part to help and support Choudhry’s family. Hopefully this small gesture of kindness from the Co-op and from Alcrest will reassure the family that they remain very much in our thoughts and prayers at this difficult time.”