A SEA of sunflowers flooded social media yesterday to mark four years since Nico Reed died while under the care of a supported living home.

The 23-year-old had cerebral palsy and passed away at Barrantynes, in Chalgrove, in August 2012.

To mark the anniversary, people were asked to share pictures of sunflowers as they played a poignant role in Mr Reed's funeral with bunches packing out the church.

Hundreds of bright, yellow, sunny scenes poured through social media to remember the happiness and laughter he brought to the world as described online by his mum Rosi Reed.

She wrote: "My Twitter feed is now a beautiful sea of sunflowers, thank you so much everyone, from my heart.

"I have no words to express how I feel.

"So many thoughtful, kind and supportive people sending me beautiful sunflowers on Twitter.

"I know it's not only me struggling to get through the anniversary of a death – so for all of us today #sunflowerday."

The #sunflowerday was started by the Justice For Nico campaign, an online blog set up by Nico's family that is campaigning to make it harder for registered care homes to turn into supported living homes as they are then not inspected by the health watchdog.

At an inquest in 2014 into Mr Reed's death, Oxfordshire coroner Darren Salter said his life might have been saved if he had been checked in line with recommendations made in his care package.

Following the inquest, Mrs Reed and husband Ian lobbied for an investigation into his death.

It is currently being undertaken by NHS England and Oxfordshire Clinical Commissioning Group and started in January 2016 – expecting to last between six to eight months.