A candlelit parade and ceremony will take place to mark Holocaust Memorial Day at the end of January.

The Mayor of Hertsmere, Cllr Martin Worster, will lead the event on Wednesday January 27 from Manor Road, in Potters Bar, with participants carrying candlelit lanterns.

The parade will end at the Wyllyotts Theatre with a ceremony including a two-minute silence, speeches from the Mayor and council leader Cllr Morris Bright and musical performances.

Cllr Worster said: “The parade and ceremony are being held as part of international memorial events as an opportunity for people to pause to remember the millions of people who have been affected by the Nazi Holocaust and in subsequent genocides in Cambodia, Rwanda, Bosnia and Darfur.

“We are also lucky in Hertsmere that we have diverse communities where the majority of people are tolerant of others and their beliefs.

“The strongest communities are those that celebrate differences and where there is respect for all.”

The theme of the parade, ‘Don’t Stand By’, focuses on contemporary relevance of the Holocaust and the consideration of individuals to not be bystanders to hate crime and prejudice.

All are welcome to join the parade which starts at 6pm on Manor Road.