A FRIEND has told of his emotional trip to France to say farewell to stabbing victim Arron Powell.

Mr Powell, (pictured) 56, formerly of Ebbw Vale, died of his injuries after being stabbed at Orleans railway station, 67 miles south of Paris, earlier this month.

He had been travelling with family friend Claire Alderman, in order to try to come to terms with the death of his 20-year-old daughter Mandy Powell, who was killed in a hit-and-run accident in December 2000.

Now Eric Harmer, landlord of The Lord Windsor pub in Grangetown, Cardiff, has told of the emotional pilgrimage he made last weekend to the train station in Orleans, with Paul McGann, brother-in-law of Arron's widow, Maria Powell.

Police in Orleans who have arrested a suspect, a 19-year-old local man, in connection with the incident and say they are convinced they have the right man.

Mr Harmer, who had become good friends with Mr Powell since he moved from Ebbw Vale to the Grangetown area several years ago, said: "We took flowers, cards and a small Welsh flag to the train station because Arron was a Welsh man through and through and he was very proud of it.

"When we were there I felt a very strange and emotional feeling that I wouldn't like to experience again but we achieved everything we set out to do.

"I was quite surprised by Orleans as I was expecting it to be quite dodgy but it was just like any other place where people were getting on with their lives.

"We met with all the detectives on the case, the public prosecutor and the mayor of the town and we received a genuine feeling of sympathy from them. "During the private meeting with the mayor he conveyed personal feelings on behalf of the local population."

A spokesman for the Service Regional de Police Judiciaire, the regional police service in Orleans, said: "Some family and friends came to Orleans last Saturday to put flowers on the spot where Mr Powell died.

"They also met some of the French authorities while they were over here."