Crystal Palace to hold minute's silence for Croydon tram victims

Crystal Palace have revealed they will hold a minute's silence for the seven people killed when a tram derailed and crashed in Croydon.

Manager Alan Pardew said the club had made a contribution to a fund for the victims, two of whom were Crystal Palace supporters.

Some of the families of those killed will be at the club's Premier League game against Manchester City on Saturday.

Speaking ahead of the match, Mr Pardew said the accident has had a "massive impact" on the area, which is home to Crystal Palace's Selhurst Park stadium.

He said: "It has had a massive impact on us, not just the club but the areas around it... shocking really.

Victims: (L-R) Dane Chinnery, Mark Smith, Philip Seary, Dorota Rynkiewicz.

"We will do everything we can for the families that will be at the game on Saturday. We are holding a minute's silence, it is such a difficult thing.

"We are going to do the best we can. Some of the injured people were connected and two of the people who died were fans.

"We as a club are fully behind them and want to help them as best we can. We have an important role to help the fans."

The family of 19-year-old Dane Chinnery, who was a Crystal Palace fan, have asked supporters to join them in a minutes applause at the match at Selhurst Park on Saturday.

The data recorder on the tram showed that it was travelling at three-and-a-half times the speed limit when it entered a sharp bend before the crash on 9 November, according to an interim report by the Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB).

Investigators have found no evidence of track defects or a malfunction on the tram's braking system.

Transport for London said that the Croydon tram will fully reopen on Friday afternoon after repairs and testing are completed.

Six men and one woman were killed in the accident, and another 51 people were injured - eight seriously.

Those killed have been identified as Mr Chinnery; Philip Logan, 52; Philip Seary, 57; Dorota Rynkiewicz, 35; Robert Huxley, 63; Mark Smith, 35 and Donald Collett, 62.

The driver of the tram, Alfred Dorris, 42, from Beckenham, southeast London, was arrested at the scene and questioned on suspicion of manslaughter. He has been bailed until May.

Accident investigators pick through the wreckage.