Crowds gathered to watch around 40 bikers from the Royal British Legion's Riders branch ride into Sandbach to launch the town's Poppy Appeal.

And minutes after a service was held at the War Memorial a rainbow appeared as bikers prepared to move on to their next port of call - Crewe.

President of the Sandbach branch of the Royal British Legion, Tom Price Jones, told crowds gathered that he was grateful for the riders to stop off at Sandbach.

The Rev Bee Boyde, vicar of St Mary's Church, Sandbach asked crowds to remember the sacrifice that those who have died fighting for their country have made as she held a short service.

"I would like to thank all the volunteers taking part in this year's appeal and ask for God's blessing for this year," she said.

Around 120 collectors will be out collecting on behalf of the Sandbach branch of the RBL in the lead up to Remembrance Sunday hoping to raise around £26,000 or more on behalf of the national charity.

Poppy collectors from the Sandbach RBL branch will be at Waitrose as well as at Sandbach M6 Services north and southbound and the RBL, whose annual collection last year was hit by Covid is asking people to support the cause.

Sandbach Poppy Appeal organiser, Majorie Newton, and chairperson of the Sandbach branch said she was delighted the riders had stopped ping off in Sandbach and helping to launch the local appeal.

She said: "It's always lovely to see them and it's nice to have them and it was nice have them with us for our launch."

Around 40 bikers from the special RBL branch rode into Sandbach for Saturday's event.

Rider Barbara Hignett, from the Cheshire and Wirral branch who organised the riders said: "This is very important for us.

"We don't want to forget about all the conflicts which these men and women served in."

Barbara's own parents were in the Merchant Navy and Wrens and her husband Phil served in the Cheshire Regiment.

"A lot of riders are ex-servicemen and women and it's a great way of raising the profile of the appeal and raising money," she said.