Ceremony remembers 9/11 Britons

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Around 100 people gathered in New York to pay tribute to the 67 Britons killed in the 9/11 attacks six years ago.

Huddled under umbrellas, relatives and friends remembered the victims during a concert in the British Memorial Garden in Manhattan's Hanover Square.

Beset by problems with the weather and public address system, speakers were forced to abandon their prepared words and shout speeches to the audience.

Speakers included the British Consul General Sir Alan Collins.

The ceremony to remember the British victims was one of many held to mark the sixth anniversary of the 11 September 2001 attacks.

Nearly 3,000 people were killed when four planes were hijacked and flown into New York's World Trade Center, the Pentagon and a field in Pennsylvania.

'Hugest tribute'

During the concert at the British Memorial Garden, half-a-mile from Ground Zero, Sir Alan battled to be heard above the wind, rain and sirens from emergency vehicles, which he said were a poignant reminder of the attacks.

He said the attacks were "a terrible act of terrorism" but added that the garden and ceremony were the "hugest tribute to those who lost their lives needlessly".

Sir Alan praised those who were involved in creating the $6.5m (£3.4m) garden, which is still under construction and expected to open next year.

He led a minute's silence as a torn flag discovered in the debris of the World Trade Center site was held aloft.

Three soloists - violinist Laura McGhee, of Dundee, Scotland, Welsh singer Rebecca Jenkins and soprano Deborah Shull - gave two performances each during the ceremony, which was cut short because of the increasingly heavy downpours.

Camilla Hellman, president of the British Memorial Garden Trust, said the concert was about looking ahead to the future, as well as paying tribute to those who were killed.

Earlier, British and American flags headed a procession of British police officers, the New York Scottish Pipes and Drums Band, and the West Point Pipes and Drums of the Cadet Corp into the garden.