Holocaust Memorial Day was marked in a ceremony of remembrance at the town centre's Cenotaph on Saturday.

The occasion was marked with music, a reading, and wreath being laid.

The subject of this year’s ceremony was The Power of Words, highlighted in a speech given by Matt Holland, who organised the ceremony, in which he spoke of the importance of a “free, open and tolerant” society in the town.

Speaking about why he carries out the ceremony, Mr Holland said: “At the turn of the century, the government suggested a day be marked in the UK that has been marked all over Europe since 1948.

“Many towns and cities in the UK took it up, and dropped it after a few years – Swindon was one of the few towns that kept it up.

“It’s clear that many people feel that this is a day that means something. Clearly schools, the young and the older generations are seeing it as a ceremony of value.

“A significant minority asked to mark this day. I think it may be something to do with the number of people from Poland, Romania, Armenia, and our place as a city of sanctuary for refugees.”

Mr Holland, whose personal link to the date stems from his maternal grandparents, who died in Theresienstadt, highlighted that, although the day takes its name from the Holocaust, it also marks subsequent genocides.

Despite the subject matter, he said: “It’s not necessarily a solemn occasion. There is something lovely about seeing people with different accents meeting each other and telling each other stories.”

The ceremony opened with a rendition of Pau Casal’s The Song of the Birds by Rachael Birkin.

Mr Holland then gave a speech, in which he acknowledged “the many children, women and men of all races and religions who have suffered”, and remarked that “the list of recorded genocides the world over is long, very long.”

It ended with the laying of the wreath, by the mayor of Swindon, Councillor Maureen Penny.

Coun Penny said: “I think it’s important to remember what happened in the war, not only to the servicemen, but also that there are a lot of atrocities that we do not want repeated.

“It happened only because of religion, and the one thing England stands for is that we should be tolerant of religion, whatever religion you have and if you have no religion.”