HUNDREDS of people attended a special event to mark Holocaust Memorial Day.

The town was chosen to host the lighting of a special candle, one of just 70 nationally, to mark Holocaust Memorial Day and the 70th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenhau concentration camp.

For the last 12 years Redditch Council has marked the national day, with a community event and procession.

For this year's event the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust commissioned Sir Anish Kapoor to design and create 70 special candles to be distributed to 70 events across the UK.

From a list of 2,500 events nationwide, the event in Redditch, held on Saturday, was selected.

Council leader Bill Hartnett said he was incredibly proud to be one of the 70 organisations lighting a candle on the historic day.

"The event was very moving, colourful and culturally diverse," he said.

"At the Holocaust marker a poem was read and our guest speaker Auschwitz survivor Iby Knill. The 91-year-old also lit the specially made candle to mark the 70th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz ."

Mr Hartnett added: "The Holocaust Memorial Day Trust's theme this year was keep the memory alive. That will certainly be the case here in Redditch by every one who saw or took part in Redditch Holocaust Memorial Day 2015."

As well as lighting the special candle and a talk by Iby Knill the event included an act of commitment in the Kingfisher Centre, a procession through the town and entertainment from Astwood Bank First School as well as others.

The candles were designed by Sir Anish Kapoor who is best known for his sculpture work, including the ArcelorMittal Orbit, an observation tower built in Stratford’s Olympic Park for London 2012, and Chicago’s mirrored, legume-shaped Cloud Gate, commonly known as the Bean.

He was awarded the Turner Prize from the Tate in 1991 and received a knighthood in 2013.