Harrow Borough Council had a commemoration ceremony on Wednesday to mark Holocaust Memorial Day.

The theme of the event was Communities Together: Building Bridges and there was an address by Holocaust Survivors Bob and Ann Kirk.

There were also songs from children from the Moriah Jewish Day School and a talk by Rabbi David Lister of Hatch Eng Kol Chai Sunagogue.

Councillor David Perry, portfolio holder for community and cultural services, said: “It’s very important that we join together to commemorate Holocaust Memorial Day so that these events are never forgotten.

“We want to send the message that discrimination, racism and hatred have no place in our society, and that acts like this should never happen again.”

Olivia Marks-Woldman, chief executive of the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust, said: “Everybody is a member of some kind of community, with different tastes and ambitions.

“During the Holocaust these differences were not celebrated, and instead they became targets instead.

“Holocaust Memorial Day is a day of respect when we can think about how those communities have been changed. It is an opportunity to come together and make connections with our neighbours.”

Holocaust Memorial Day is held on January 27 every year to mark the anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz concentration camp.