CHILDREN led the tributes during the 60th anniversary of VJ Day to servicemen who sacrificed their lives.

On this year's special Remembrance Day, youngsters at All Saints Church Stand, in Whitefield, formed a significant part of the church service as they and the rest of the parish remembered those who lost their lives in the two World Wars and other conflicts.

Members of the 5th Whitefield Guides conducted the remembrance service focusing on the Japanese War, in which thousands of Allied troops suffered at the hands of their captors.

The building of the Kwai railway, linking Thailand to Burma, has become legendary but the conditions that the prisoners were kept in must never be forgotten.

The congregation listened and reflected on the facts as the girls presented the story of those who suffered and ultimately lost their lives through starvation, exhaustion and disease.

Guide guider Sue Robinson said: "Every survivor knows himself to be lucky not to be lying with the 12,493 fellow prisoners in the war cemeteries in Burma or on the banks of that beautiful and sad Kwai River."

She added: "In our prayers today we are going to think about all the brave men and women from yesterday, today and tomorrow who have given or will give their lives to make sure that you live in a safe world. We hope that we never have to go through anything as terrible as the Great Wars ever again."

Following the Guides' service, the congregation made their way to the cenotaph in Higher Lane for an act of remembrance led by the Rector of All Saints, Rev Alison Hardy.

Rev Hardy welcomed representatives from other faiths and a Cantor and members of the Jewish community chanted from psalms.

Standards were lowered as the Last Post was sounded and around 150 parishioners and guests observed a two-minute silence.

Representatives from a variety of organisations were invited to lay wreaths at the memorial and poppy tributes were included from the 5th Whitefield Guides, Brownies and Rainbows, Whitefield Police Station, Bury South Conservative Association, Ivan Lewis MP, Bury Council, the Association of Jewish Ex-Servicemen and Women, Radcliffe and Whitefield Lions, Prestwich and Whitefield Scouts Association, All Saints Church and St Andrews, Hillock, who joined the service.

Similar services were held elsewhere in the borough.

Following a service at St Hilda's Church, Prestwich, people marched from the Royal British Legion in Bury Old Road to the cenotaph in St Mary's Road for an act of remembrance.

In Unsworth, wreaths were laid at Unsworth Pole in Parr Lane following a service at St Georges Church.