Crowds turned out to honour the victims of the Gresford Colliery disaster in 1934.

The occasion saw town dignitaries, residents, school children and family members of the victims gather at the memorial in Bluebell Lane on Saturday.

Video and images by Rick Matthews

Among them was Florence Mathias whose father Samuel Mathias died in the disaster. She had only just been born when her father, a fireman, died in attempt to save the stricken miners.

There were also four generations of relatives of David Lloyd Jones who died in the disaster.

A service has taken place on September 22 since the memorial was first unveiled in 1982 by Prince Charles and Princess Diana.

This year the Reverend Huw Butler, vicar of St Martin’s Church in Llay, led the service. This year marks the 84th anniversary of the disaster, in which 266 people died.

Local Gresford Councillor, Andrew Atkinson said: "It was a very good and very moving service and as always I'm very grateful to everyone that makes it happen.”

He also remarked on the respect shown by a local business.

“I'm very impressed with Charlie's Car Wash, the business opposite the memorial on the site, every year they suspend their operation to stand respectfully for the Gresford Disaster Memorial Service and it's even more impressive on what was clearly a very busy Saturday for them,” said Cllr Atkinson.

“I'd like to thank them for being so decent and respectful."

On September 22, 1934 at 2.08am a huge explosion shook the Dennis section of the mine, more than a mile from the bottom of the shaft, and a fire started. At the time 500 men were working underground.