HUNDREDS of children gathered to pay their respects to those who fought in Gallipoli after creating their very own Field of Poppies.

A Remembrance service to mark the bloody First World War campaign was held at Middlesbrough Cenotaph.

As part of the commemorations, ten of the town’s schools have made nearly 2,000 artificial poppies for an art project titled Remembering Gallipoli and Our War.

The poppies have been made from materials including ceramics, plastic bottles, paper and foam and have been planted in the flowerbeds surrounding the Cenotaph to create the Middlesbrough Schools Field of Poppies.

Reverend Glyn Holland led the service which featured children from the schools reading out well known poems as well as those specially written by pupils for the event.

“I thank you for all the contribution that today’s commemorations have brought,” he said. “I thank you for all the effort from the schools and staff that has brought this wonderful event together. Thank you from us all for making us proud of each and every one of you.”

As well as the poems, a member of the Macmillan Brass Band sounded the Last Post to mark the start of a two minute silence.

Saturday (April 25) will mark exactly 100 years to the day that Australians and New Zealanders landed on Turkey’s Gallipoli peninsula in 1915.

The eight and a half month campaign led to the deaths of more than 130,000 soldiers, of which more than 21,000 were British.

Eric Howden, of the Royal British Legion who laid a wreath during the commemoration service, said: “It is absolutely fantastic that the schools have come together to create some beautiful poppies to mark this event.

“All the effort that has gone into it has been unbelievable and a fitting tribute to all the men who died at Gallipoli.”

The schools taking part in the event were Newport Primary School, Acklam Whin Primary School, Kader Academy, Archibald Primary School, St Clare’s RC Primary School, St Edward’s RC Primary School, Sunnyside Academy, Macmillan Academy, Berwick Hills Primary School and Newham Bridge Primary School.

The poppies will be in situ at the cenotaph on Linthorpe Road for one week and CCTV will monitor the area during this period.