A group of yarnbombers paid their respects on Sunday by crocheting 123 poppies - one for each name on Witham’s war memorial.

The poppies, which were hand knitted by the three members of the anonymous Curious Croffiti group, took pride of place in the memorial garden at the junction of Newland Street and The Avenue.

The anonymous group, which also knitted a shield cover, helmet and leg guards for the statue of Saxon warrior Byrhtnoth, in Promenade Park, Maldon in August, planted their poppies in the memorial garden at 2am on Sunday morning to avoid being identified.

The founder of the group, said: “Yarnbombing is like graffiti but with knitting or crochet.

“We crocheted 123 poppies and it took us about 10 minutes a poppy, completed over the last few months.

“Even though I don’t have a personal connection to it I wanted to show that I was thinking about it and remembering too.

“I feel very positive about the poppies, it’s really nice that people like them.”