Only six people will be involved in the official remembrance day commemorations on Sunday.

With a second Coronavirus lockdown coming in to effect on, Hastings Borough Council (HBC) announced this morning that it had acted to further reduced the size of its Act of Remembrance on Sunday.

While the council says it still wants to mark the day by the laying of wreaths at the war memorial in Alexandra Park the numbers participating will be reduced to just six, all of whom have already been invited. HBC is encouraging everyone to ‘remember from home’ and is stressing that members of the public should not attend the war memorial on Sunday morning.

A council spokesperson explained: “The mayor will lay a wreath on behalf of the town and its people, including the many organisations in Hastings, and the Royal British Legion will lay a wreath on behalf of all serving, retired and fallen service personnel. We are asking everyone else to please stay away.

“If any other organisation wants the mayor to lay a wreath on their behalf they are asked to bring these to Muriel Matters House, the council offices in Breeds Place, by 4pm on Wednesday November 4th.”

HBC says it understands that Remembrance Sunday is very important to many local people, and know the restrictions will disappoint many: “Public gatherings simply aren’t possible now. We think that our approach at least allows the town to mark the day in an appropriate way,” said the spokesman