THE father of two brothers from Suffolk killed in the terrorist attacks on New York has expressed his gratitude to people who offered their support after the tragedy.

THE father of two brothers from Suffolk killed in the terrorist attacks on New York has expressed his gratitude to people who offered their support after the tragedy.

Former Ipswich schoolboys Andrew and Timothy Gilbert both worked in the World Trade Centre for brokerage firm Cantor Fitzgerald.

They were among 663 of the firm's staff, based between the 101st and 105th floor of the first-hit North Tower, who died after the attacks on September 11.

The former St Joseph's College pupils were brought up in Suffolk and their parents John and Mary live in north Ipswich. Both were former parishioners of the St Pancras Roman Catholic Church in Ipswich and their father issued his message of thanks through the church's weekly bulletin.

He said: "On behalf of Mary and myself, and the families of Andrew and Timothy, I want you to know how much we appreciated and have been consoled by your prayers, masses and condolences after the death of our two sons."

Mr Gilbert also asked the parish priest, Father Francis Leeder, to hold a mass for the intentions of the parishioners. The congregation mourned Andrew, 39, and Timothy, 35, at a requiem mass following the tragic events in New York.

It has also emerged Cantor Fitzgerald has pledged 25 per cent of its future profits to the families of workers who died in the disaster. The Gilbert brothers were both believed to be married with children.

Their families should be among those who will begin receiving financial help from the firm, which has spent six weeks restoring itself to some semblance of normality.

It has put together an aid plan that will see a quarter of its profits set aside for the bereaved during the next five years and the payment, within a month, of any bonuses that would have been awarded to the victims.

The package includes a pledge to take care of bereaved families' healthcare for the next decade and there are plans to ensure all 1,463 children who lost a parent will go to university free of charge.

Company bosses said they expected all families to receive at least $100,000 (£68,000) over the next five years and relatives of Britons who died should benefit as much as the Americans, because, according to Cantor Fitzgerald, they are all resident in the United States.

Lee Amaitis, the New York-born president and chief executive of Cantor Fitzgerald International, said the company, which was back trading 48 hours after the disaster, had become an extended family.

"We lost about 160 partners in the disaster but those left will give up 25pc of the profits to the families. Is that a 25pc cut in wages? You could put it like that but I don't think so. I just think we all realise now that we have to work harder to make more money to give to the families," he said.

Mr Amaitis estimates the healthcare package alone will cost $75 million (£51 million) and the company has asked its insurers to pay out around $100,000 to each spouse to alleviate immediate hardship.