A GRIEVING mother last night said she forgives Ipswich Town footballer David Norris following his goal celebration at the weekend.

Anthony Bond

A GRIEVING mother last night said she forgives Ipswich Town footballer David Norris following his goal celebration at the weekend.

Norris, 27, appeared to make a “handcuffs” gesture in support of his former Plymouth team-mate Luke McCormick during Town's 1-0 win at Blackpool.

The goalkeeper was jailed for seven years and four months for causing the deaths of Arron Peak,10, and his brother Ben, eight, in a car accident in June. He was under the influence of alcohol on his way home from Norris' wedding.

Ipswich Town last nightannounced that Norris had been fined and had written a “personal and private letter of regret” to the boys' parents Phil and Amanda Peak. After the game on Saturday, Norris confirmed that his celebration was a gesture of support for his friend.

Speaking last night, Mrs Peak said she forgave the Town midfielder.

“Yes I forgive him,” she said. “He did something which was inappropriate to us. He should have thought about how he was going to celebrate and chosen something a bit more appropriate.”

Mrs Peak, of Partington, Greater Manchester, said she was happy that Norris had been fined and was sending a letter of regret.

“I am happy with that. It is all that I wanted, for him to show that he knew he should not have done it and that it would have been interpreted in the way that everybody else interpreted it.

“I am glad that he is apologising to us personally and that is all that I asked for. He has been fined and money is going to a charity that deserves it.

“People like David Norris and Luke McCormick and everyone else in the public eye have got a responsibility and they need to think about their actions because children look up to them and copy them.”

McCormick was over the drink-drive limit when he crashed into a car carrying the youngsters on the M6 in Staffordshire on June 7.

Norris was celebrating scoring Ipswich's winning goal against Blackpool when he made the gesture.

Speaking earlier yesterday Mrs Peak revealed how the celebration had affected her.

“I was quite hurt by it,” she said. “It might not have been what he intended but it was still a suggestion of handcuffs. It was insulting to me and disrespectful to the boys.”