A candle lit vigil is being held in the borough to mark the passing of a year since the country first went into lockdown due to coronavirus.

The vigil will be pre-recorded and released on Dudley Council’s Facebook and Twitter channels at 6pm on Sunday March 21. The service will be led by Reverend James Treasure, vicar at Top Church in Dudley.

It will also include a reading from West Midlands Deputy Lieutenant Richard Boot and footage of key workers lighting candles to mark the occasion.

Senior Dudley Council figures including the Mayor of Dudley, Councillor David Stanley; leader of the council, Councillor Patrick Harley; and leader of the opposition, Councillor Qadar Zada, will also light candles. Councillor David Stanley, the Mayor of Dudley, said:

"It has been a year like no other. We have all had to sacrifice so much since the Prime Minister first announced that we were to go into lockdown to protect ourselves and the NHS almost a year ago.

"We wanted to do something to mark the occasion, a period of quiet reflection, an opportunity to remember all those who we have so sadly lost to this virus. I would encourage all Dudley borough residents to go online, and maybe to light a candle of their own at home."

People can watch the vigil on the Dudley Borough Facebook page and on Twitter.