A POIGNANT tribute will drift down the River Ouse when families pay their respects to loved ones.

St Leonard’s Hospice is to stage its annual Candles on the Ouse event, as the charity nears the end of its 30th anniversary year.

A short informal service will be held at 6.30pm on Thursday, December 10, before hundreds of floating candles are set adrift by hospice staff to sail down the river.

Each candle will be sponsored by people who have donated to the Hospice to commemorate a birthday or anniversary, as a gift for someone special or as a way of remembering a loved one.

Judy Wilson, events fundraiser at St Leonard’s Hospice, said: "We held our first Candles on the Ouse event very successfully last year to inaugurate the Hospice’s 30th year, and we’re pleased to be able again to offer everyone the chance to have a sponsored candle to mark a memory or a special occasion – you can even have your own personal message written on them."

Supporters and visitors can watch the spectacle from Dame Judi Dench Walk, between Lendal Bridge and Marygate.

To float a candle call 01904 77 77 77 or visit www.stleonardshospice.org.uk.