Holocaust Memorial Day will be marked virtually in Hertsmere this year because of the pandemic.

The national commemoration is held every year on January 27 and is dedicated to the remembrance of those who suffered in the Holocaust, under Nazi persecution, and in subsequent genocides in Cambodia, Rwanda, Bosnia, and Darfur.

Tomorrow from 6.30pm, the mayor of Hertsmere, Councillor Alan Plancey, will lead a ceremony online, streamed on Hertsmere Borough Council's webcast system.

Cllr Plancey said: "I am very grateful to everyone who is working so hard to ensure that our ceremony can go ahead in an online format so that we keep everyone safe and comply with on-going restrictions. It is so vital that we take this time to remember those who have suffered at the hands of genocidal regimes and that we ensure lessons are learned as we create a safer future.

"The theme for Holocaust Memorial Day this year is 'Be the Light in the Darkness'. It encourages everyone to reflect on the depths humanity can sink to but also the way individuals and communities resisted that darkness to 'be the light, before, during and after genocide.

"Our annual ceremony here in Hertsmere is always a deeply moving event and I am sure this year's occasion, despite its many differences in format, will be thought provoking and uplifting."

Principal speaker at the event will be Angela Cohen, chairman of Holocaust Survivors '45 Aid Society. There will also be speeches, prayers and the lighting of candles.

The theme for Holocaust Memorial Day 2021 is 'Be the Light in the Darkness'. Households across the UK are invited to light candles and display them in their window at 8pm on Wednesday January 27 to remember those who were murdered for who they were, and to stand against prejudice and hatred today.

Upload a photo of your candle on social media using the hashtags #HolocaustMemorialDay and #LightTheDarkness

Watch the ceremony in Hertsmere online here. A recording of the ceremony will be made available after it has ended.