Images of casualties of the First World War were carved into the sand of two Dorset beaches as part of a unique commemorative event.

Thousands of visitors flocked to Weymouth and Lyme Regis for Danny Boyle’s Pages of the Sea to see the faces of war heroes appear in the sand, before later being washed away by the tide.

The face of Private Stanley McDougall was etched onto the shore at Weymouth Beach to the admiration of many onlookers.

Visitors even got to etch their own silhouettes of soldiers in the sand alongside the large-scale portrait, remembering the millions of lives lost or changed forever by the conflict.

As part of the commemorations, singer Billy Bragg read out a poem by Carol Ann Duffy and then got crowds singing along with him, after which members of the public were invited to share their own words through the ‘open mic’.

Lyndsey Harvey, of Activate Performing Arts which ran the event in Dorset, said: “We’ve had lots of really lovely comments.

“School children have been reading poems and people have spoken about their relatives that were in the war.

“It’s a very moving and reflective, but also quite relaxed event which takes place over a few hours. It is complimenting all the other events which have taken place today.”

Rifleman Kulbir Thapa appeared at Lyme Regis. Both men were recipients of the Victoria Cross for their actions during the Great War

Weymouth and Lyme Regis are two of just 32 beaches across the UK chosen by Danny Boyle to be one of the Pages of the Sea, which is part of the 14-18 NOW project marking the centenary of the First World War.

The portraits, designed by artists Sand In Your Eye, feature a selection of men and women, many of whom died in active service.