KEIGHLEY Ukrainians took part in a special service commemorating one of the darkest chapters in the nation's history.

The event marked the 85th anniversary of Holodomor, a man-made famine which killed millions of Ukrainians.

Members of the Keighley branch of the Association of Ukrainians in Great Britain were among nearly 200 people who attended the service, at Leeds Cathedral.

The event was one of several taking place across the country.

Also present were several former members of Keighley Town Council who supported a motion, put forward in 2008 by ex-deputy town mayor Nick Lajszczuk, recognising the Holodomor as genocide.

It was the first council in the UK to pass such a motion.

Mr Lajszczuk, who in addition arranged for a 'torch of remembrance' to visit Keighley on a journey around the world, received a coveted honour – the Ukrainian President’s Service Medal – for his efforts.

Guests at the service also included the town's MP John Grogan, who gave an address, and the Lord Mayor of Bradford, Keighley councillor Zafar Ali.

Stefan Pryimuk, chairman of the Keighley Ukranian association, said it was important to commemorate the Holodomor.

"In the early 1930s Joseph Stalin weaponised food to deliberately and systematically starve millions of innocent Ukrainians to death," he said.

"Desperate pleas for help were ignored. The Soviet State wilfully and brutally committed murder on an unimaginable scale.

"The Ukrainian Government, and others around the world, have declared the Holodomor as an act of genocide against the Ukrainian people.

"During the service, eight witness statements were read out from people describing the horrors that they and others had endured.

"References were made to fertile land turned to wasteland. Entire villages were wiped out. There were dead bodies on streets, people eating dirt and pets, and cannibalism. Diseases such as scurvy and oedema were rife.

"Seven million men, women and children suffered a torturous death."

The service also included children holding sheaves of wheat, loaves of bread and black wreaths walking in procession to laments sung by the Fialka girls’ choir.

Lord Mayor of Leeds, Councillor Graham Latty, lit a candle in memory of those who died.

Mr Grogan spoke about how important it was when Keighley acknowledged Holodomor as genocide, and he thanked Mr Lajszczuk for his efforts.

He also stressed that the Holodomor and the millions who perished should never be forgotten, so that future generations don't become indifferent to human suffering.

A closing address was given by a representative of the Ukrainian Embassy.

A special commemorative book, Grains of Truth, has been produced bringing together for the first time documents and testimonies.

It is available through Amazon.