PICTURES: Bradford unites in remembrance for 30th anniversary of Valley Parade fire

An emotional sea of claret and amber washed into the city centre - among it civic heads, emergency service workers, City fans, families and friends of the 56 victims.

Also in the crowd were many who were not even born when the disaster struck at Valley Parade on May 11, 1985.

As people waited for the act of commemoration to start, stories were shared. Many were from those who had been at the ground on the fateful day and were among the lucky ones to return home after a day when City were supposed to have been celebrating success that season.

The 56 who never made it home and the 256 who were injured were honoured in the service. Also remembered were those who "still live in enormous pain," said the Bishop of Bradford, the Rt Rev Dr Toby Howarth in his address.

He also spoke of a light shining in that darkness and how the tragedy had brought the city together. He said: "The pain does not go away. The number of people here today speaks for itself.

"It's not just about Bradford City and the fans, it's about the city as a whole. Something went deep into the heart of this city and the wound is still here. Painfully this event brought the city together, the emergency services battling to help those in need, the streets roundabout who took strangers into their homes, gave cups of tea, lifts home and a helping hand. The world heard about it," he said.

He went on to pay tribute to the burns specialists and medics who helped those at the time and the aftermath of the fire and those still raising funds today to continue the unit's good work.

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Bradford's Lord Mayor, Councillor Mike Gibbons, also paid tribute not just to those who lost their lives but also to their loved ones who have attended previous commemoration services and given each other support through those years.

The dignitaries from Bradford and Lincoln, who the Bantams were playing on the day, sat alongside the families of lost ones. Also with them was the Lord Mayor (Oberburgermeister) of Hamm in Germany - Bradford's twin city. Representatives from there had been visiting Bradford and were there at the match that day.

The names of the 56 who died appeared on City Park's big screen and were read out loud as City Hall’s clock struck a single chime for each of them.

A minute’s silence was finally broken by a rousing rendition of You’ll Never Walk Alone performed by the City of Bradford Brass band and soprano Victoria Sharp.

First it was the civic dignitaries who laid their floral tributes, followed then by the families who had waited patiently for their turn. Some laid extravagant wreaths - others just a simple bunch of tulips or a single rose. One untied his own scarf and fastened it round the fire disaster memorial.

Representatives from Bradford City AFC, West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service, West Yorkshire Police and the Yorkshire Ambulance Service also laid wreaths.

Then the crowd sang along to Abide With Me in hushed tones - as the civic heads and uniformed leaders moved away from City Park in a sombre procession back to City Hall. They were followed by many of the families. As they passed, the crowd in a moving tribute of their own formed an unofficial guard of honour as a sign of respect and recognition of their loss.

Some who were there to mark the occasion found it too painful to speak - while others found the strength to share their loss. Cathy Liddle, from Silsden, was there to remember her season-ticket holder dad Roy Mason, who was 74 when he died in the fire. She had brought with her his great-grandson Jacob, just six-months-old.

Janet Hibbitts, from Idle, was 25 and at home with her two daughters when news of the fire broke - her dad Derek Dempsey, 46, a Bantams fan was one of the 56 who never came home.

"Normally he would have gone in the Kop but because it was a special occasion he treated himself to a seat in the stand. They found his body trapped at the turnstile. He was there with his friend, they found him too."

Margaret Price, 60, from Eccleshill was there as a final farewell to her stalwart City fan husband David Price who died from a heart attack on April 25 - after watching Bradford City's last home game of the season and saw them win. Flowers from his funeral last week had been saved and turned into a floral tribute to the 56 - among those was his best friend who he had bought a ticket for that day.

"David's was an 'If Only' story. It affected him, he always went very quiet when the fire was mentioned. He never got over losing his friend like that."

Mr Price was a member of the White Abbey branch of the Bradford City Supporters Club - about 100 city fans went to his funeral.

Paul Donnelly, 61, from Little Horton, who survived the fire, said: "I could see just a glow. I was across the way from it. I was shouting at the people to put it out because they just seemed to be looking at it but I now know they could see it had taken hold beneath them. I got out. I left the ground convinced everyone had got out but I was met with a death toll instead."

Stephen Rawnsley, formerly from Shipley now living in Buxton, was 14 at the time and had been stood at the Bradford end behind the goals. He said: "We were as happy as Larry but then the fire started, I remember feeling the heat on me, it was unbearable. We climbed onto the pitch and just followed the crowd whichever way it was going."