Service marks 85 years since the Battle of Britain

Air Chief Marshal Sir Richard Knighton (left) and president of the Battle of Britain Memorial Trust Sir Stephen Dalton attended the event

A service to mark the 85th anniversary of the Battle of Britain has taken place at a cliff-top memorial in Kent.

The first decisive battle in history to be fought in the air began on 10 July 1940 and reached its climax on 15 September, which became known as Battle of Britain Day.

The service in Capel-le-Ferne, near Folkestone, on Sunday was attended by relatives of people who fought in the battle.

Air Chief Marshal Sir Richard Knighton said: "It's through this memorial that we can educate those who were not alive during the war about the sacrifices made, not only by those brave men in the air, but also the people on the ground who got them up there."

The service of commemoration is held every year on the nearest Sunday to the start of the battle.

Sir Stephen Dalton, president of the Battle of Britain Memorial Trust, said: "Its important that families have somewhere they can come to meet and remember and to lay flowers, but also for the next generation to experience a little of what it would have been like to fly in times of war."

Alex Scott, from Cambridge, came to lay flowers for his father Jaromir Strihavka, who was a Czech pilot and flew in the Battle of Britain.

"I know the effort that goes into maintaining a place like this and it's great that the trustees invite us to take part in such a special event," he said.