A Twickenham vigil to remember the lives lost due to violence against women has been cancelled.

Local organisers have instead invited people to lay flowers at the bench on Twickenham Green dedicated to murdered 22-year-old French student Amélie Delagrange.

The vigil was organised in the wake of the disappearance of Sarah Everard, 33, who went missing while walking home from a friend's house in Clapham. Wayne Couzens, a Met Police officer, appeared at Westminster Magistrates' Court this morning (Saturday, March 13) charged with her murder.

A crowdfunding page by the group Reclaim These Streets has raised more than £180,000 for women's charities, hours after it was set up around 8am.

A doorstep vigil will also take place tonight, but Twickenham vigil organisers believe it will not have the impact needed to make women's voices heard.

They said: "We are sorry to confirm that the Twickenham Green vigil scheduled for tonight is cancelled.

"We feel it's essential for local women to be able to express their strength of feeling in a public way, not in a quiet and convenient manner hidden away in our homes and on our doorsteps. When regulations allow, we will absolutely be encouraging you all to join together to honour the women we have lost and fight to make our voices heard.

"This weekend, we'd like to encourage those local to the green to lay a flower at the tree planted in loving memory of Amélie Delagrange, or at Amélie's bench."

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The bench can be found near Holy Trinity Church.

Police statement

Yesterday Reclaim These Streets appealed to a High Court judge to allow their vigil on Clapham Common to go ahead, but the judge said it was a matter for the police to balance covid regulations with the right to protest.

Commander Catherine Roper is the Met's lead for community engagement.

She said: "I would like to thank the organisers of tonight's vigil in Clapham Common for cancelling the gathering. Since Sarah's disappearance, we have shared Londoners anguish, shock and sadness at the truly awful circumstances of her disappearance and death.

"I know that yesterday's ruling would have been unwelcome news for the organisers and to those who were hoping to join others in tribute to Sarah and to make a stand on violence against women.

"While it is clear we cannot do this together on Clapham Common, I know there are various others ways to mourn Sarah in a safe way.

"We take no joy in this event being cancelled, but it is the right thing to do given the real and present threat of Covid-19. Throughout the week we have had a number of talks with the organisers of the vigil. These talks have undoubtedly been challenging and officers have worked hard to explain the regulations and why gatherings such as this cannot go ahead at this time.

"While we understand their frustrations of this cancellation and share the nation's outrage at this crime, we must all continue to work together to fight Covid-19 and keep each other safe.

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"Throughout the day we will have officers on patrol throughout the capital. We are there to keep people safe and will be highly visible and supporting our communities."

Doorstep vigil

"This evening at 9.30pm we will be joining people around the country in a doorstep vigil, standing on our doorsteps and shining a light – a candle, a torch, a phone – to remember Sarah Everard and all women affected by and lost to violence," Reclaim These Streets said.