A day of reflection will take place today (Tuesday) to mark the anniversary of the start of the first lockdown.

North Somerset Council is calling on people to reflect on the past year by holding a minute's silence at noon. People are also encouraged to light up their doorsteps at 8pm.

The day of reflection comes after North Somerset’s evening of remembrance on March 14, when the authority placed 334 candles on the steps of the Town Hall as a tribute to everyone who has died of Covid-19 over the past 12 months.

The remembrance day marked a year since the first person from North Somerset lost their life to coronavirus.

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North Somerset Council’s executive member for health, councillor Mike Bell, said: “The nature of this pandemic, and the impact of the restrictions we’ve had to live under for the last year, has been different for each of us.

“We’ve had to adapt to keep ourselves, our family and our friends as safe as possible, and we’ve had to live with the anxiety of this deadly virus circulating in our community.

“Being able to take this time to reflect on the changes we’ve all been through this year and on how we’ve pulled together to look after each other makes me grateful for our communities that have supported each other.

“I want to thank every person who has stayed home, everyone who has worn a mask, and everyone who has kept their distance. Even when it has been hard.

“With our older residents now better protected from the more serious consequences of the virus as the vaccine rollout continues, we can start to see better days ahead."

The authority's director of public health, Matt Lenny, praised residents for following Government guidelines.

He said: "The impact of the last year on physical and mental health cannot be underestimated and we are looking forward to being able to get back to doing the things we love, surrounded by our friends and family.

“But we must take it slowly, one step at a time. If we rush back, we will be risking more lives.

“Follow the government guidelines set out in the road map, resist the urge to skip ahead, and keep being kind to each other.”

Marie Curie is also encouraging people to mark the anniversary with a minute's silence at noon, by creating a colourful poster to display in your window and reaching out to someone who has been bereaved.