A HOST of red paper flowers rained down over people during the county-wide launch of the annual Poppy Appeal.

The start of this year's fundraiser and commemorative event for the Royal British Legion took place in Ferndown on Saturday featuring a parade of children, music from Dorset Youth Marching Band and a host of dignitaries and veterans.

Lt Commander Ralph Dodds, branch chaplain of the Ferndown Royal British Legion, gave a blessing during the special service, before The Last Post was played and the crowd fell into silence.

Around half-way through the two-minute silence, four small cannons fired a smattering of red poppy-shaped confetti over the service.

The Mayor of Ferndown, Cllr Mike Parkes, said: "We are hugely honoured and proud to host the launch of the Poppy Appeal in Dorset.

"I trust that the launch was a huge success in the town and that it will help the appeal across Dorset to raise more money than has ever been raised before."

The annual Poppy Appeal by the Royal British Legion sees thousands of volunteers take to the streets each year to collection donations in return for paper poppies to remember the fallen servicemen and women killed in conflict.

A number of remembrance events will take place across Dorset on Remembrance Day which is Sunday, November 13.

Gerry Nunn, chairman of the Royal British Legion for Dorset, said that on a national scale, the charity spends £1.25million every week of the year on helping serving and former armed forces personnel.

He added: "We cannot do any of this work with you giving to us and people like Mick Arnold MBE, who has been associated with the Poppy Appeal for many years. We know that the people of Dorset support it very well."

Prizes were handed out to the businesses in Ferndown which had made the most effort to decorate their windows as part of the appeal, with prizes going to Ken Allen Family Butchers, A. E. Jolliffe and Son funeral directors and The Orange Teapot Cafe.

Families also took the chance to take a closer look at the Dorset Police car decorated with poppies in recognition of the annual appeal, which was driven to the service by Chief Superintendent Colin Searle.