LOCAL campaigners gathered in Preston on Tuesday to commemorate Hiroshima more than half-a-century after an atomic bomb was dropped on the Japanese port.

The group handed out leaflets and listened to a reading from the Mayor of Hiroshima's annual peace address.

Around half a dozen people met at the peace memorial garden, Friargate, 57 years to the day since the first atomic bomb to be used in warfare was dropped.

Around 75,000 civilians were killed in the huge blast.

Local organiser Reverend Ben Humphries said: "The purpose of this witness for peace is to remind ourselves that using atomic weapons is unacceptable in modern warfare and to ensure that future generations never forget that innocent civilian lives were lost that day on August 6, 1945.

"Preston has a beautiful peace memorial garden and this is the right way to use the space in the busy shopping district."