A LONE piper played the poignant Battle's O'er at Bournemouth's war memorial early this morning to mark the start of Remembrance Sunday.

A small crowd gathered at the memorial in Bournemouth Gardens at 6am to hear piper, Major Ewen Stuart, play The Battle is Over, a traditional air played by pipers after a battle.

It was a ceremony replicated at memorials across Dorset and across the country.

It is part of the wider Battle's Over initiative, a series of events in the morning and evening of November 11.

As well as the sound of bagpipes playing in unison across the country, a lone piper also played in front of the Tomb of the Unknown Warrior at Westminster Abbey in London.

Tonight, at 7pm, more than 1,000 Beacons of Light will be lit throughout the the UK, Channel Islands, Isle of Man and UK Overseas Territories.