Greenwich Council has announced that works to improve the area around a Woolwich tower block will include a memorial for Lee Rigby.

An agreement has been reached with Rebecca and Lyn Rigby, the widow and mother of the late fusilier, to plant a memorial tree at the site of his murder in order to remember and honour his life.

The tree will be dedicated to the murdered solider with a simple, dignified plaque, which will encourage anyone wishing to pay their respects to him to make a donation to three charities nominated by the family.

Fusilier Rigby, of the Royal Regiments of Fusiliers, was murdered in a terror attack on May 22, 2013.

He was attacked and killed by Michael Adebolajo and Michael Adebowale near the Royal Artillery Barracks in Woolwich.

The new memorial situated around Elliston House will make the area more pleasant to residents and form part of wider improvements.

The council and the Rigby family had intended the permanent memorial installed in the nearby St George’s Garrison Church would help the family to move on with their lives and provide a place where any member of the public could go to pay their respects.

However, since then a number of people unconnected to the Rigby family have argued another memorial should be provided on the spot of the murder.

The council said many of these people are well-meaning but their efforts have been adopted by groups with views that are at odds with the wishes of the Rigby family.

The actions of such groups had often disrupted the lives of local residents who wish to go about their business in peace and also cause distress to local schools where children can be disturbed and upset at the public disorder on display.

Last year a member of the public replaced a paving slab by the site of Fusilier Rigby’s murder with a memorial stone.

This, and another unofficial memorial, will be carefully removed and handed over to Lyn Rigby as per her wishes.

Council leader Danny Thorpe said: “Everyone in the borough accepts and understands the need to remember Fusilier Rigby in an appropriate manner. He was murdered in the most shocking of circumstances.

"His family has always conducted itself with the utmost dignity and agreed to a permanent memorial being installed in the nearby St George’s Garrison Church in 2015.

“We have now agreed with the family that we need to reconsider the issue of an appropriate memorial so that Lee can finally rest in peace."

The works to improve the space around Elliston House, including the planting of a memorial tree to Fusilier Rigby, commenced this morning (March 25).