RECORD crowds paid tribute to Middlewich war heroes at the annual Remembrance Sunday parade and service.

More than 1,000 people gathered as veterans, civic dignitaries and uniformed youth organisations marched from the Royal British Legion club on Lewin Street to the Bull Ring.

Church bells rang out as the parade, led by parade marshall Marshall Hunter, made its way through the town.

Ken Kingston, chairman of the Middlewich branch of the Royal British Legion, said: "It was fantastic, couldn't have been better.

"I expected the numbers to be down on last year when we commemorated the centenary of the end of the First World War but there were even more people this year. We gave out 800 orders of service, there were more than 1,000 people

"All the children's uniformed groups were there. It was really nice to see very small ones there."

Representatives from various churches in Middlewich took part in the service.

Volunteer bugler Adrian Ogle played the poignant Last Post.

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Mr Kingston thanked various community groups and businesses for ensuring that the War Memorial was clean and tidy for the commemoration.

"The war memorial was cleaned by volunteers from Engie," said Mr Kingston. "Middlewich WI make poppy bombing yarn on the steps up to the war memorial.

"The bottom step is kept for youngsters so that they have a full view of the whole ceremony.

"Big poppies were put on lampposts by Sp Energy and other volunteers cleaned up the whole area.

"The help you get from everyone in the community makes it very special."

Town Cllr David Latham, who revived Middlewich Community Pride, an action group to tidy up the town, joined a team of volunteers on Saturday to clean up the area around the cenotaph.

Cllr Latham said: "Everything was brushed, litter picked and weeded, all made immaculate for the Remembrance service. I am very proud of the team. We received a lot of good feedback."