HUNDREDS of people have signed up to support a campaign to re-name a play park after dead Royal Marine Georgie Sparks who died in Afghanistan last year.

Last week we reported how Epping town council scrapped plans to name Stonards Hill the Georgie Sparks playground, despite having told his grieving parents, Wayne and Toni, that it would go ahead.

After letters and emails flooded in from people angry about the decision, we decided to launch a campaign to have the park named after Georgie.

Mr and Mrs Sparks set up a Facebook group to highlight the plight and in just a few days more than 500 people have joined.

Georgie's former boxing teacher Mark Wilks was one of the first to back the cause.

He said: "You can guarantee my support and anyone who was part of the club would back the campaign as well. He gave his life to the area and in exceptional circumstances because he was so young.

"It would be great if the park could be named after Georgie because it would act as a permanent reminder of someone who gave his life to his country."

Debden Park High School's deputy head teacher Helen Gascoyne said something should be done to remember Georgie.

She taught him Drama when he was 14 and said: "We are very much in support of having something to remember Georgie by. The school believes it's important to recognise him and when he died we had a minutes silence for him and talked about him in assembly."

Marines who fought alongside Georgie have shown their support from Afghanistan, emailing the Guardian to back the campaign.

Sergeant Chris Griffiths said: "I am still currently in Afghanistan and fought alongside Georgie everyday and was with him on that tragic day.

"Georgie gave his life so that the citizens of Epping can walk freely through their park, it is only fitting that the family area of this park is named after him."

Troop Sergeant Jamie Lennon heard the park would be named after Georgie and was planning to come back from Afghanistan to attend the opening, having been unable to make his funeral.

He said many marines from the troop were looking forward to the service.

He added: "As we are still serving in Afghanistan we have not yet had an opportunity to properly grieve for our fallen Brothers in Arms, or to pay our respects to their Families, and so were keenly looking forward to the memorial service planned for 23 April. "We all feel this would be an appropriate opportunity to finally say goodbye to Georgie, and to demonstrate to his family just how much their son and brother meant to us all.

"To withdraw the offer of this service is a cruel blow to all of Georgie’s family and friends, and I can see no reason why the Country which we proudly serve cannot give a little back to a young man who laid down his life in its defence."

To support the campaign, join the Facebook group 'Keep Georgie Sparks' memory alive' and email eroberts@london.newsquest.co.uk.