A wreath was laid yesterday to the memory of two men who died in the September 11 attacks on New York's Twin Towers.

Saltus headmaster Nigel Kermode placed the wreath at a tree planted at the school in memory of former students Boyd Gatton and Robert Higley II.

They died seven years ago when two aircraft crashed into the Twin Towers, killing almost 3,000 people.

Yesterday Mr. Kermode said at the ceremony: "It is always really difficult to address something like this and to retain some sense of genuine perspective.

"The events of September 11, 2001, are still very vivid in images and obviously in the media. At the time of the attacks and in the months thereafter the human toll and personal tragedies were foremost in the thoughts of everyone.

"Time is a great healer, but it also can erase significances particularly for those who are not directly affected by events as tragic as those of 9/11.

"For the school there will always be the historical and cultural significance of this day and I am sure that generations of students here will reflect on the events for many years to come but there is also a personal dimension for Saltus because we lost two former students on that day seven years ago.

"We place this wreath here as a small symbol of the school's continuing desire to keep their memory alive and to honour their membership of Saltus."

Mr. Gatton was in the class of 1978 to 1979 and Mr. Higley II spent three years in what is now referred to as the Upper Primary Department, but what was then referred to as the Junior School. Mr. Higley was aged 29 when he died and Mr. Gatton, who was working for Fiduciary Trust International, was aged 38.

Rhondelle Cherie Tankard also died in the attacks. She was an employee with Bermuda-based insurance company AON, and started work at the World Trade Center just two days before 9/11.