ORGANISERS of a service to rededicate Gargrave's war memorial have thanked everyone who made the event such a success.

More than 300 people turned out for the evening event on Monday, followed by a service in the parish church.

It had been made possible by a grant from the Coulthurst Trust and the village's Knit and Natter group.

Organised by the Gargrave Heritage Group, the commemoration of the First World War included an exhibition in the church.

Monday's service was attended by the Bishop of Ripon, the Rt Rev James Bell, and John Henderson, deputy Lord Lieutenant. Others at the service were Skipton Mayor Cllr John Dawson, Gargrave councillor Simon Myers and County Cllr Shelagh Marshall.

One of the organisers, Ray Jones, said it had been a very impressive turnout.

"We couldn't believe how many people came. We would like to thank everyone who came and all those who made it possible."

The Gargrave event was one of a large number held in towns and villages across Craven to mark the war's centenary.

These included exhibitions at The Folly in Settle, Skipton's Holy Trinity Parish Church and St John the Baptist Church in Low Bentham, as well as events in villages including Steeton, Kirkby Malham, Embsay, Hebden, Carleton and Burnsall.

In addition, lights were dimmed in public buildings on Monday evening and a peace vigil was held outside Skipton Town Hall earlier in the day.

In Sutton-in-Craven a ceremony was held featuring the unveiling of a plaque bearing 11 names of local soldiers killed in World War I, who were not included on the Sutton War Memorial when it was erected in March 1921.

To rectify this omission, Robert Smith commissioned a new plaque bearing the names of these forgotten members of the village.

One of the ceremony organisers, Dr John Laycock, said "we were blessed with good weather" and he noted that over 100 people attended, in addition to those taking part in a Haworth Home Guard parade prior to the service.

He and other organisers said everyone did their part to help to make the event a success.

"It was a very moving ceremony," said Sutton ward councillor Ken Hart, who also serves on Sutton Parish Council. "I'm proud of all the people from Sutton-in-Craven who made it a special day."

Cllr Hart was also pleased that the names of the 11 fallen soldiers were finally placed on the village war memorial.

"I don't know why the names were missed off in the first place," he said.