Coventry remembers the blitz 83 years on

Candles were lit and prayers were given to those who had died in the blitz

A vigil was held in the ruins of Coventry Cathedral to commemorate 83 years since the blitz.

Around 100 people gathered on Tuesday evening to light candles and hear prayers in memory.

The 12-hour raid by German bombers killed 550 people.

Ken Barber, a blitz survivor at the age of five, said the vigil was to remember all those who worked hard to keep others safe.

Speaking to BBC CWR, Mr Barber said: "It is important to keep dates like this open so the public can come down to the ruins and say their silent prayer for those that did perish."

He remembered the blitz vividly and spoke of the 12 hours they spent in the shelter: "All you could hear were the bombs going off."

He said that after the raid was over, "all you could smell was the acrid smoke, gas, sewage, unexploded ordnance lying everywhere and dead bodies".

Eleven-year-old Shauna, who came along to her first vigil, found the experience "really good".

She found listening to Mr Barber's story "interesting" and thought "he was probably scared in the shelters with his mum, he was only five".

The vigil called out the names of those that died and ended with a prayer and a pledge for peace: "To Gaza and to Israel, God give peace. To Ukraine and to Russia, God give peace."