People gathered at the annual Chattri Memorial Service yesterday to pay their respects to the Sikh and Hindu soldiers who died in Brighton and Hove during the First World War.

During the 1914-1918 war, more than 1.5 million Indian Army soldiers fought alongside British troops.

About 12,000 Indian soldiers wounded on the Western Front were sent to hospitals around Brighton, including the York Place School, the Dome, the Corn Exchange and the Royal Pavilion.

The 53 Hindu and Sikh soldiers who died of their wounds in Brighton were taken to a peaceful resting place on the Sussex Downs, near Patcham, for cremation.

The Chattri was built on the spot where their bodies were cremated.

After the cremation, their ashes were scattered in the sea, in accordance with their religious rites.

The Chattri, which means umbrella in Hindi, Punjabi and Urdu, was designed by EC Henriques and symbolises protection for the dead.