SCHOOL children in Germany and Basildon will forever be entwined thanks to an act of remembrance that has seen them plant 'trees of peace'.

A total of twenty-four oak saplings were planted by students from a school in the German town of Heiligenhaus after they were inspired by meeting fellow students from Basildon.

Heiligenhaus, located between Düsseldorf and Essen in Germany, is one of Basildon's two twin towns and both have forged close links over the years. Basildon's other twin town is Meaux in France.

Youngsters from the Gesamtschule school in Heilgenhaus recently spent time in Belgium with students from Woodlands School in Basildon where together they visited battlefields of the First World War and re-enacted a 'Christmas Truce' football game. The trip was organised by the Forget Never project and was so successful it inspired the Gesamtschule students to plant the trees.

A spokesman for the Forget Never project, which is funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund, explained: "Each German student planted a tree for themselves and also one for a student from Basildon. Soon a trilingual plaque will be placed nearby, stating “Wald der Friedensbäume”, “Peace Tree Forest” and “Le Forêt des Arbres de Paix” remembering that men from the three twin towns of Basildon, Heiligenhaus and Meaux who died during the First World War.

"Representatives from the Forget Never Sacrifice and Legacy Project will be travelling to Germany for the unveiling of the plaque."

Forest Ranger, Hannes Johannsen, whose idea it was to plant a ‘forest of peace trees’ in Heiligenhaus said it was a way of ‘building bridges’ ."The trees are next to each other and are growing together, symbolising the closeness of our three twin towns and especially of the Gesamtschule and Woodlands School students," he said.