The brother of a young man who died from an asthma attack has said he is grateful graffiti of his name will be kept as part of an underpass art project.

'RIP Kaine' appeared at the end of last year at the underpass near the Coffee House café on the Moreton Hall estate in Bury St Edmunds in tribute to Kaine Williams, who was from the area.

The former King Edward VI student died in November 2020 at the age of 24 - and would have celebrated his 25th birthday last Friday, October 8.

As part of a community art project, the underpass is being repainted by professional artists with the aim of capturing Moreton Hall, but the Kaine graffiti is being kept - which is what his family and friends had wanted.

A plaque in memory of Kaine will also be part of the finished scheme.

The underpass mural initiative involves the Reprezent Project, the Moreton Hall Residents' Association (MHRA), local schools and councillors, with support from West Suffolk Council, Bury St Edmunds Town Council and Suffolk County Council highways who provided the barriers and work permit.

Kaine's brother Adam East, 31, who lives in Devon, said it was "amazing" the Kaine graffiti was being kept at the underpass as part of the project.

"It's really nice there's something left there that we can look at and we can remember him.

"I'm very grateful for the effort people have made for him. It's lovely."

Balloons were left at the underpass on Friday of last week to mark Kaine's birthday.

Adam said Kaine's death had been "tough on everyone, especially being really young".

"He was very close to his friends and they were his family. We appreciate everything his friends have done for him."

He said Kaine was part of a group that put on events, adding music was a big part of his life. He also loved football and was a fan of Chelsea Football Club.

Kieran Hurrell, a close friend of Kaine's, said he loved cooking, particularly Jamaican dishes, mixing and DJing.

"He was constantly on the mixer. He was one of those boys who just loved life.

"You could never say a bad word about him. He just constantly had a smile on his face. He was definitely a people pleaser."

He said he saw Kaine as a "little brother". They had lived together above the Coffee House on Moreton Hall.

Speaking of the importance of the underpass memorial, Kieran, 26, from Moreton Hall, said "It's one of the only things we have got of him left."

Ruben Cruz, founder of the Reprezent Project, which has co-ordinated the artwork, said it had been important to retain the 'RIP Kaine' graffiti.

"We understand that Kaine is someone very important for the young community and community in Bury St Edmunds."

Bob Houlton-Hart, secretary of the MHRA, added: "It's in the interest of community relations and it should stay."

He said the initiative to revamp the underpass, which had featured an undersea scene called 'the lost cove', had been going since 2018.

He said the main aim was to freshen it up and include the community.

Workshops with local schools, Sybil Andrews Academy and Riverwalk School, informed the design process.

Moreton Hall County Councillor Peter Thompson, who is Mayor of Bury St Edmunds, said: "I'm ecstatic with how it's turned out and it reflects what a wonderful estate Moreton Hall is."

Councillor locality funding of £5-6,000 paid for the artwork at the underpass, which is owned by Suffolk County Council.

Artists Kevin Parker and Alec Cumming have worked on the artwork with the help of staff from Reprezent.

It is due to be finished this week and varnished and fixed next week.