FAMILY and friends of a young man who drowned in York gathered at his favourite pub today to mark what would have been his 21st birthday.

Jonathan Havron’s body was found in the River Foss in March 2010, a fortnight after the 18-year-old disappeared at the end of a night out in the city centre, sparking a massive search by police and his family.

His mother Joanne Wigmore said yesterday that on his 18th birthday, Jonathan had been returning home from Spain and so had not had a proper party.

He had told her then that he wanted to celebrate his 21st with a party and, following his death, she had decided to press ahead with one at the Artful Dodger, his favourite pub, in Micklegate.

Up to 50 family members and friends were expected to attend the event, and she had also brought Jonathan’s ashes.

She said she had also brought two buckets to collect more money for the British Heart Foundation, a charity for which Jonathan was a volunteer prior to his death.

The money collected would top up about £250 which had been raised recently through a stall she had run at the Murton car boot sale and a street collection in Parliament Street, which had marked the second anniversary of his death.

The fundraising, which has become an annual event, is intended to be something constructive in his memory and a celebration of his life.

Mrs Wigmore said she had been following closely The Press’ coverage of the search for missing Acomb teenager Jordan Sullivan, which ended tragically last week when the 19-year-old’s body was found in the Ouse at Naburn.

She spoke of the parallels with her own family’s situation two years ago, saying: “I really feel for the family. I know what they have been going through.”

She said that two years on from Jonathan’s death, it had not got any easier, “You just learn to cope,” she said.