A POIGNANT piece of artwork created by year six children has been selected to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz.

The memorial flame, made by pupils at St Andrew's CE Primary School, is one of 75 artworks chosen to represent each year since prisoners were released in 1945.

These will be displayed at an exhibition set to be unveiled at the UK Ceremony for Holocaust Memorial Day in London in January.

Headteacher, Wendy McKinnon, said: "As part of our work on courageous advocacy, our children have gained more understanding of the Holocaust and why it is important to remember and ensure that nothing like it ever happens again."

More than 300 groups from across the country registered to take part in the nationwide competition launched by the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust (HMDT).

It encourages people to remember the six million Jews murdered during the Holocaust.

Chief executive of HMDT, Olivia Marks-Woldman, said: "It is hugely encouraging to have received so many submissions to this project and from so many different types of groups.

"The project has truly been nationwide and at a time when we know identity-based hostility is increasing, it is heartening to see so many groups and communities come together and pay tribute to victims of the Holocaust in this way.

"Holocaust Memorial Day is an important opportunity for us all to learn from genocide, for a better future.

The ‘75 Memorial Flames’ competition was launched by artist and survivor of the Holocaust, Maurice Blik, who was liberated from Bergen-Belsen concentration camp as a child.