LIVERPOOL war veterans were joined by famous faces in a ceremony that paid tribute to those who died in the Blitz.

The 70th anniversary commemorative events began with a parade through the city on Saturday, led by ceremonial pipers down Whitechapel.

City dignitaries were joined by names including Cherie Booth, Stan Boardman and John Conteh, who laid wreaths in memory.

The ceremony marked the start of three days of commemorative events to pay tribute to the 1,700 lives lost in a week of carnage unleashed by Hitler’s Luftwaffe.

The raids destroyed and damaged a third of houses in Liverpool and two- thirds in Bootle.

Survivors of the May, 1941, bombings were also joined by Iraq veteran Craig Lundberg and one of four surviving Chindits – the elite force who fought the Japanese in the Burmese jungle during the war – George Main, from Hale.

The event attracted big crowds as the parade culminated on Church Street for the wreath laying ceremony.

Dignitaries included Merseyside MPs and the Lord Mayor, Cllr Hazel Williams, who gave a speech to the gathered crowd.

A Winston Churchill impersonator later joined her on stage.

Ms Williams said: “We are here to pay tribute to those who lost their lives, and we are celebrating the spirit of the Liverpool people.

“I love the spirit of this city, the humour of this city and our ability to pick ourselves up and start again.”

Mike McCartney, whose parents met during the Blitz, also attended to lay a wreath, along with actress Pauline Daniels and representatives from the police, fire and ambulance services.

McCartney, brother of former Beatle Sir Paul, said: “I called up Paul to say we were doing this and he said he wanted the wreath to be laid from both of us as well as mum and dad, so both our names were on it. It has been a truly special day, and it is so important to remember. There are so many young people here, which is great to see, too.”

City comedian Stan Boardman, who experienced the devastation wreaked on the city first-hand, also joined the march. His six-year-old brother died during the bombings.