CAMPAIGNERS gathered in the centre of Oxford to mark 74 years since an atomic bomb was dropped on the Japanese city of Hiroshima.

Oxford Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND) met at the peace plaque in Bonn Square yesterday morning to commemorate Hiroshima Day.

About 25 people from the group, plus members of the public, took part in a vigil, read poetry and sang songs.

America detonated an atomic bomb over Hiroshima on August 6, 1945, before dropping another device on Nagasaki three days later.

The peace plaque in Bonn Square was installed to commemorate people who have campaigned for peace in Oxford over the years.

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It is located on the wall of New Road Baptist Church, and was unveiled by Bruce Kent on UN Peace Day, 21 September, 2010.

It reads: "Peace – to honour those who seek another path in place of violence and war."

A post on the national Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament Facebook page stated why groups were marking the day.

It said: "74 years ago, the United States dropped an atomic bomb called “Little Boy” on Hiroshima in Japan. 100,000 to 180,000 people were killed out of a population of 350,000.

"We must never allow this to happen again."