THE men from Bradford killed at the Somme have been remembered 99 years after the bloody First World War battle.

Crowds gathered in the city centre for a moving ceremony today, in which people were asked to reflect on the personal stories behind the horrific numbers of casualties.

Many of the dead were from the 16th and 18th battalions of the West Yorkshire regiment - known as the Bradford Pals.

The Lord Mayor of Bradford Councillor Joanne Dodds said 2,000 Pals had gone 'over the top' of the trenches, with 1,770 being killed or injured.

She added: "As a mother of two young boys, I can't imagine what the mothers of these young men must have had to go through."

Tricia Restorick, secretary of the Bradford World War One group, said two weeks ago, members of the group had visited France to lay three wreaths in memory of those from the district who lost their lives.

She said they would be "forever in our collective memory and also in our hearts".

The Dean of Bradford, the Very Rev Jerry Lepine, said: "July 1, 1916, was the worst day in British military history. You have heard the statistics already, they are absolutely shocking as to how many men were injured and killed on that day, but they were not statistics.

"They were human beings, who lived and loved and had families and had hopes for their lives and for thousands those hopes were dashed, not just in France but in this country and in this city."

Rev Lepine said those left behind were "the generation of a broken heart".

He said: "War is about individual stories, human lives that meant so much, and so it is vital for us to remember, to reflect.

"Let us reflect that all human life is sacred and wonderful and that we need to treat each other as if each of us were sacred and wonderful.

"Let us also reflect that war cannot be romanticised. It is just so hostile for so many people in so many ways."

Brian Anderson, of the Band of the West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service, sounded the Last Post, and the crowd observed a minute's silence.

Wreaths were laid at the memorial to the Bradford Pals by David Pearson, the Deputy Lieutenant of West Yorkshire, Councillor Dodds and members of the Bradford World War One group.

Children from Lidget Green Primary School sang two songs. The first was a version of John McCrae's famous war poem, In Flanders Fields, and the second was Bruno Mars' Count on Me - a contemporary song chosen for its message of friendship.

Christian, Muslim and Jewish prayers and recitations, and the National Anthem, followed.

Members of the Great War Society attended, dressed in the wool uniforms of the Bradford Pals.

James Baker, of North Yorkshire, who was dressed as a Lieutenant of the 16th battalion, said its members from all across the north of England attended the Bradford service every year.