MORE than 70 Harlow residents, church leaders and local dignitaries paid tribute to victims of genocide at a moving Holocaust Memorial Day service on Friday.

Harlow MP Rob Halfon and council chairman Mike Garnett were among those who gathered at the Holocaust Memorial Garden in Waterhouse Moor, where local Rabbi Irit Schillor spoke of the importance of remembering victims of all genocides as well as those who lost their lives at the hands of the Nazis during the Second World War.

The event also saw the unveiling of a new granite memorial to replace the bronze plaque stolen by callous crooks just before Christmas.

The commemorative stone, which cost the council approximately £1,000 to replace, carries the same inscription as the original plaque with the addition of the Hebrew word for "Remember".

Speaking after the service, Harlow Town Chaplain Robert Findley said it was important to learn from the lessons of the past to create a better future.

"Today we remind ourselves that one of the great purposes of life is to love our neighbour as we love ourselves irrespective of race, colour or creed," he said.

Harlow Council chairman Mike Garnett added that he was pleased the authority had been able to replace the memorial plaque in time for the dedication ceremony.

"Those people who plundered the original plaque clearly cared only for a quick profit and neither knew nor cared about the Holocaust," he said.

"What Friday's event showed is that Harlow's community is a strong one. We joined our Jewish friends along with councillors and the town's MP Robert Halfon to dedicate the new stone in what is a very tranquil spot, and one I would urge people to visit."