TO a packed audience of schoolchildren and dignitaries at St Helens Town Hall Holocaust survivor Tomi Reicental recounted his days in Belsen Concentration Camp.

He was visiting St Helens to mark Holocaust Memorial Day which saw special events in the town hall and at the Central Library where Tomi spoke in-depth about life under the Nazis.

The event was opened by Geoff Pearl, the first Jewish Mayor of St Helens who said: “It’s sad that after 70 years people haven’t learned from history.

“Anti-Semitism has gotten out of hand as we have seen with the after effects of what happened in Paris when innocent people in a Jewish supermarket were slaughtered.”

School children from Mill Green, Cowley, St Augustine’s and De La Salle also took part in the event with readings, prayer and song.

Reading from his book ‘I was a boy in Belsen’, Tomi painted a stark picture of his experiences in the camp.

He said: “The dormitory smelt of damp clothes and unwashed bodies. Meanwhile losing patience with us the guard started to hound us with what was becoming a familiar refrain ‘get out you dirty Jews.’”

His message throughout the day was one of tolerance towards different religions and races. He concluded by saying: “On foot of the recent events in Paris, this commemoration of the Holocaust must be a warning that racism and bigotry in Europe is on the rise. "Jews are once again the victims of murderous hate. We must all say loud and clear ‘never again.’”

In the town hall Tomi lit one of 70 special candles designed by the renowned sculpture Sir Anish Kapoor.