A SPECIAL ceremony took place in Monmouth on Saturday (December 8) to unveil a new rowing boat in memory of a 13-year-old schoolboy from Devauden who died earlier this year.

Tom Walker, a pupil at Monmouth School for Boys, died unexpectedly from leukaemia in June.

Tom's family gathered at the school's rowing club on Saturday to inaugurate The Otter boat.

Tom’s parents, Debbie and Tim; sisters, Holly and Emily; and grandfather, Glyn Smith, took turns to christen the boat with champagne.

The boat, named after Tom’s favourite mammal, was bought with funds raised by pupils and from Tom’s estate.

Rowers from the school recently rowed Loch Ness to raise money for the new boat and Cancer Research Wales.

Tom's sister Holly is organising a swimathon, called Swim for Tom, as part of another fundraising project, which has attracted more than 500 swimmers and will take place in the pool at Monmouth School for Girls on Sunday, January 6.