School pupils, workers’ representatives and councillors were among those who gathered to remember employees killed in their places of work.

Keighley Trades Council arranged the International Workers Memorial Day event, which began outside Cliffe Castle on Monday and concluded with a short service in Town Hall Square.

Participants first met next to the flowering cherry tree near Cliffe Castle, planted in 2011 in memory of Keighley man Steven Allen and all other employees who have died in their work place.

Mr Allen was killed while working on a Bradford building site in 2007. Also present at the occasion were Mr Allen’s mother, Judith Allen, and Keighley mayor Councillor Sally Walker.

Speaking after a minute’s silence in memory of Mr Allen, Keighley prospective parliamentary candidate, John Grogan, said: “ Every 15 seconds somewhere in the world someone dies as a result of industrial accident or industrial disease.

“In Yorkshire in 2012-2013, 11 workers died from industrial accidents, of which five were killed in West Yorkshire. In Bradford district, there were 134 serious injuries at work reported, up from 123 in the previous 12 months. The solution is not rocket science – it is simply better regulation and inspection. If we can achieve that, Steven Allen’s untimely death will not have been in vain.”