AROUND 50 people came together to reflect on the atrocities of the holocaust for an annual remembrance day.

The Mayor of Bournemouth, Cllr Eddie Coope, the Mayor of Poole, Cllr Xena Dion and the Lord Lieutenant of Dorset, Mr Angus Campbell joined members of the Jewish community, councillors and students from Avonbourne College for the Holocaust Memorial Day commemoration.

It started in the town hall led by organiser, Lynda Ford-Horne, who spoke about the importance of the event as a chance to education future generations about what happened, to prevent it from ever taking place again.

Sam Johnson, equality and diversity manager for Bournemouth Council, also spoke before three students from Avonbourne College recalled their experience of meeting holocaust survivor, Walter Kammerling, who attended the service and lit the memorial candle.

Afterwards, people gathered around the holocaust memorial statue in Bournemouth Gardens, during which time Hebrew passages were recited and Balint Brunner, regional ambassador for the Holocaust Educational Trust for the south west, lit a candle.