CHILDREN at Keighley-district primary schools dressed in claret and amber in memory of those who died in the Bradford City fire disaster and to raise money.

Pupils at Oxenhope CE Primary School coined-in £247 in donations for the work of the Bradford burns unit.

Headteacher Kathrine Nutting said the non-uniform day was part of district-wide events to mark the 30th anniversary of the tragedy and remember those who died or were injured.

She said: “We decided as a school that it is important to keep the memory of this part of Bradford’s history alive and to celebrate the fantastic work of the burns unit which was truly something good coming out of something so terrible.

“Some children and staff wore Bradford City shirts, others made badges and rosettes or wore the colours in their hair.

“In the morning assembly the children and parents/carers listened to You’ll Never Walk Alone and heard a little about the fire and the burns unit.”

Harden Primary pupils also raised more than £200 for the burns unit.

Both parents and children watched a moving tribute to remember the 56 lives lost and hundreds injured during the disaster on May 11 1985.

Headteacher Kirsty Hutchinson said she and her colleagues welcomed the chance to join in with the commemoration campaign.

“I felt it was important the children recognised that people in their own community had been affected directly or indirectly by such tragic events," she said.

"And on a positive note it was a perfect opportunity to raise money for such a worthy cause”.

When Woodbank Nurseries learned that Harden Primary was marking the 30th anniversary the firm donated a weeping cherry blossom tree to the school. This was planted in memory of the dead.

Helen Avison, of Woodbank Nurseries, said, “It was important to us to support the school, and we felt this was a memorable way for the children and the community to pay tribute.

"Planting this tree together and having it growing and flourishing in the school grounds is a beautiful way to remember the 56.”

The Plastic Surgery and Burns Research Unit was founded after the tragedy by Professor David Sharpe, who used pioneering techniques to treat many of the burns victims.

The unit has been an integral part of the university and city since carrying out that work.