A memorial bench for a teenager whose nickname was 'princess' has been placed next to Sandown Castle.

The location for the lasting tribute to 16-year-old Shannon Gilliland who lost her battle to cancer in September 2018 was chosen by her mother Louise Dutton.

It overlooks the Channel with views of both Ramsgate and Kingsdown and is also just a stone's throw away from their home in Canute Road.

Ms Dutton said: "Every princess deserves her castle.

"When she was younger her nan used to call her princess, and with where we live and how close it is to Sandown Castle, I thought that was the best place for it.

"It's really pretty up there and it's really nice to be able to go up there and think about her."

Shannon was diagnosed with Stage 4 metastatic Rhabdomyosarcoma, a soft tissue cancer in her stomach in January 2017. It later spread to other parts of her body.

In a tribute in Mercury last year, her parents described her as a "warrior", who fought right to the end and even achieved three GCSEs in her final months.

Even after four months of aggressive chemotherapy and radiotherapy, she remained positive about the loss of her blonde locks, telling them she wanted to “rock the baldness”.

They fondly recalled how their daughter cried with happiness when she was able to go to her prom.

In the depths of their grief, family friend Paul Robson set up a justgiving page which raised almost the entire £1,600 required to cover the cost of the bench.

Shannon's dad Don Gilliland said: "We'd like to say thank you to friends, family and anyone who donated. It means the world to us.

"The fact is was set up by a friend in the first place was unexpected but to raise the full amount was amazing.

"Shannon would love it, she always loved being the centre of attention."

The bench was installed just before Christmas and over the festive period and Shannon's birthday, on Boxing Day, was adorned with flowers, balloons and teddy bears.

Mr Gilliland and nine friends also took part in the Boxing Day Dip in memory of Shannon, raising more than £400 on Taylor Made Dreams - a charity which enables children with life limiting illnesses to achieve their dreams, from visiting places to meeting celebrities.

He is now training for the London Marathon, raising funds for children’s cancer charity CLIC Sargent, which helped make Shannon's final months as fulfilled as possible.

Donations can be made by clicking here.