A CONVOY of military vehicles snaked through the centre of Wimborne at the weekend as part of the town's 2016 Poppy Appeal launch.

Wimborne Mayor Cllr Sue Cook travelled in the procession, which started at Allenbourn School and moved to the town square.

Hundreds of people lined the streets to watch what has become an annual tradition in the Dorset town.

Cllr Cook, who purchased the first poppy of the appeal, said: "We had a couple of buglers and the Pamphill and Shapwick town crier Mel Gudger did a shout about the appeal and how we should all contribute.

"We mustn't lose sight of our history, we are where we are today because of it.

"So many people have given their lives - even today our crier remembered two Wimborne men who were killed one hundred years ago in the First World War.

"We should never forget them, and not just the people who died but their families.

"And, of course, we still have wars today and we need to support the families of those killed. They may have lost a main bread winner.

"The appeal is a fantastic thing because it supports so many people - we should never lose sight of what a good thing it is to do."

The vehicles for the procession were provided by the Historic Military Vehicles Group, which operates across Dorset.

The Poppy Appeal is the Royal British Legion's biggest fundraising campaign, held every November to coincide with Remembrance Sunday.

Members of the public wear the poppy as a symbol of remembrance, to remember servicemen and women killed in armed conflict.

A Royal British Legion spokesman explained: "The first Poppy Appeal was held in 1921, the founding year of The Royal British Legion.

"Red silk poppies, inspired by the famous First World War poem In Flanders Fields, sold out instantly and raised more than £106,000. The funds helped World War One veterans find employment and housing after the war.

"The following year, the Poppy Factory was set up, employing disabled ex-Servicemen to create the poppies to sell during the appeal. Today, the factory still produces millions of poppies each year."

Funds raised through the appeal go towards helping ex-service personnel and their families from all conflicts, including the Falklands, Northern Ireland, Iraq and Afghanistan.