THE millions of innocent people who died in the Holocaust were remembered in Basingstoke.

Civic dignitaries, council workers and members of the public took part in a solemn ceremony to mark Holocaust Memorial Day on Friday, January 27.

The crowd at the War Memorial, at Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council's Civic Offices, paid their respects to the six million Jews killed by the Nazis. They also remembered thousands of others who suffered in concentration camps, including gypsies, disabled people and Christian priests.

After a two-minute silence, the borough's deputy mayor, Councillor Tony Jones, and chief executive Gordon Holdcroft laid a wreath at the memorial.

Some of the people who gathered for the ceremony, which was part of the UK's sixth annual Holocaust Memorial Day, have been attending the Basingstoke service every year since the day was first recognised.

Sued Thrift had a special reason for wanting to mark the event.

She said: "I am Jewish so it means a lot to me. My family is from the Middle East, not Europe, but if the Allies had not defeated the Germans they would have come into the Middle East next and the Jews would have been first in line to suffer."

War veteran Henry Redman, 93, from Bramley, served in Europe and North Africa during the Second World War, and some of his wife's relatives died in Auschwitz concentration camp in Poland.

Mr Redman said: "Today should mean a lot to everybody. It was a disgusting and shocking thing to happen."

Commenting on the small gathering, he added that it was a shame more people had not attended.

Hannah Williams, of Crossborough Hill, Eastrop, said she goes to the War Memorial every year to remember those who lost their lives.

She added: "I am not Jewish and I do not have any personal stories of the Holocaust but this should be remembered, especially as it happened here in Europe.

"I am still trying to comprehend it."

First published: Wednesday, February 1, 2006