Aya and her family fled persecution for a life of safety in the UK - but it ended in tragedy

In 2010 Aya Hachem’s family fled war-torn Lebanon to seek a safer life elsewhere. The family made the decision after Ismail Hachem had been struck by a bullet in crossfire while serving in the army during conflict.

Mr Hachem travelled with his wife and three children more than 5,000km to the UK. He hoped that the country would provide peace and stability for his young family.

This all changed in May 2019 when his oldest daughter, Aya, was gunned down in a bitter feud between rival car tyre firms in Blackburn. She was only 19 years old when she was shot, LancsLive reports.

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The Hachem family settled in Blackburn after travelling around the UK as refugees. It was a place the Hachem family felt safe, far away from the bloodshed of their homeland.

Soon Aya and her siblings settled into education and began working towards a brighter future, and the family welcomed another child. The oldest daughter of the family, Aya rarely spoke of the trauma she had endured in Lebanon, but as a bright student who was awarded Student of the Year at Blackburn Central High School in 2016, she hoped to use her talents to support victims and the persecuted.

She began studying law at Salford University aged 18, hoping to specialise in international law. Her dad told her she would be prime minister one day - a dream he and Aya believed would come true.

"Aya was our shining star and always made us smile", said Ismail. The young student was appointed as the youngest ever trustee of the Children's Society and hoped to make the world a better place. She was also heavily involved in Blackburn's asylum seeking community.

However, on May 17, as she joined Muslims