38 pictures of shrine following death of a 9-year-old girl as boy charged with murder

The 15-year-old is set to appear in court this morning accused of killing Aria Thorpe. The young victim was pronounced dead after suffering a 'single stab wound', police confirmed today. (Wed)

The teenage suspect was remanded in custody after his arrest and will appear at Bristol Magistrates' Court today. Police announced the charges as a shrine started to grow outside Aria's home with tributes continuing to flood in.

Friends and family of Aria, who was found dead at a property in Weston-super-Mare, Somerset, on Monday evening, said they are struggling to cope with the loss of such a 'sweet, beautiful' girl. And the local community has been paying their respects by laying a large collection of flowers, toys and messages close to the scene of the tragedy.

Avon and Somerset Police said formal identification process has not yet been completed, but confirmed the boy had been charged with the murder of Aria Thorpe. Emergency services were called to a home in Lime Close shortly before 6.10pm on Monday 15 December.

The boy - who cannot be publicly identified as a child defendant - was arrested in nearby Worle a short time later. Avon and Somerset Police said a post-mortem examination has been carried out and the preliminary finding is that the death was as a result of a single stab wound.

Supt Jen Appleford said: "Our investigation has continued at pace since Monday evening and we can confirm a 15-year-old boy, who lives in Weston-super-Mare, has overnight been charged with murder.

"He is due to appear in court later today. This remains an incredibly difficult time for Aria's family, who we continue to support and update around our investigation. It is impossible to adequately describe how traumatic the past 36 hours have been for them and we'd like to reiterate in the strongest possible terms their request for privacy.

"The tragic loss of such a young girl has caused a huge amount of shock and upset, with there being a profound sense of loss felt throughout the community. We are working closely with partner agencies and schools across the Weston area to make sure those affected receive access to any support they need.

"We are grateful to local residents for the patience shown while we have been carrying out enquiries in the area. This work will need to continue over the next few days, but if anyone has any issues then please do not hesitate to speak to officers on the cordon who will be happy to help."

A police cordon was removed overnight - prompting those who knew Aria to come and mourn her loss. One message read: "Aria, sleep tight beautiful girl. In our heart you will stay forever. Love you all your family.”

Another message left at the scene read: “I’m going to miss you lots. Thank you for being my friend. I’ve brought you this stitch and I have one as well." An estimated 20 sets of flowers along with several toys and letters have already been left at the scene as the community in the Somerset town continued to be rocked by the tragedy.

Another message, from the reception class of Becket School, read: "RIP little lady. Taken well too soon. Fly high. Thinking of you and your family at this sad time."

Aria's uncle Jordan Hull wrote on Facebook asking for the family to be left alone to grieve. He said: "Please can everyone give myself and my family time to grieve the sudden lose of my neice Aria. This was a sudden tragedy and my family are going through extreme pain right now."

Before the cordon was lifted emotional tributes had already started to be left at the scene. One message read "Aria, thank you for playing with me. Lots of love to you, your sister and mum."