ONE of the thousands of ceramic poppies from an eye-catching memorial at the Tower of London will be heading to Bradford.

A sea of poppies is being installed in the Tower's moat in a tribute to British and Commonwealth First World War dead.

Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red has been created by ceramic artist Paul Cummins. By Armistice Day a total of 888,246 ceramic poppies will have been 'planted', one for each British and Colonial death during the First World War, which began 100 years ago.

The poppies are being sold for £25, with a proportion of the proceeds going to service charities.

Now the office of the Lord Mayor of Bradford has bought one, and it will be going on display with the Civic Silver at City Hall in the new year.

Last week the Lord Mayor and Ilkley councillor, Councillor Mike Gibbons, also helped to kick-start this year's Poppy Appeal for the Bradford district. He welcomed members of the Royal British Legion to City Hall, where they presented him with the year's first poppy.

Cllr GIbbons said: "There's a particular relevance this year, given the anniversary of the outbreak of World War One. It is most important that we continue to remember.

"It is good to see so many groups and organisations coming together with services and commemorative events across the district, which will, of course, include our Festival of Remembrance on November 2 at St George's Hall, and our attendance at the cenotaph at 11am on November 11."

Volunteers from the Royal British Legion will be out and about selling poppies in the lead-up to Armistice Day.

Barbara Allsopp, Poppy Appeal organiser for the Bradford Central Branch of the Royal British Legion, said: "They will be in supermarkets next week and they can go on sale as soon as we have given the Lord Mayor his first poppy."

There are 27 services of remembrance across the Bradford district this year. These include two services at the cenotaph in Bradford city centre, one on Remembrance Sunday, November 9, at 11am, and one on Armistice Day, November 11, at 11am.

The 68th annual Bradford Festival of Remembrance is being held at St George's Hall on November 2, with performances by a variety of local acts, a Parade of Standards and a Service of Remembrance.

Tickets are £8.50. To book, phone the Box Office on (01274) 432000.