A POIGNANT collection of photographs, personal belongings and documents have gone on display at The Chase high school to mark Holocaust Memorial Day.

Created by the school's art department, the exhibition features enlarged black and white photographs of prisoners at the Auchwitz concentration camp, a case of artefacts from the period and a video installation of a recent BBC 2 documentary on Holocaust survivors.

The centrepiece is an arrangement of lilies, to represent peace and optimism.

Art teacher Sarah Morgans was involved in putting together the display in time for Thursday's event, which coincided with the 60th anniversary of the liberation of Auchwitz.

She said: "It's been heartbreaking. Very, very moving.

"It needed to be something with visual impact, but this doesn't even touch on the impact that the holocaust had on the world. I can't say that I've enjoyed doing it, but I think that it needed to be done."

Ms Morgan said her father was an avid collector of war imagery and had been able to supply the pictures.

The items in the case belonged to her grandparents. While they were not victims of the Holocaust, Ms Morgans said the collection was intended to represent the belongings taken away from those who were.

Katie Winney, a Year 8 pupil, said of the display: "It's very interesting but it's also really nasty. I wasn't that aware of the stuff that went on. It's been useful having it there."

Assemblies on the Holocaust have taken place at the school throughout the week. The exhibition, in the school foyer, will remain until Wednesday (February 2).