A HOLOCAUST survivor shared his inspiring story with local pupils and council staff.

Arek Hersh MBE spoke to students from Ormsgill Primary School, Barrow, and Millom School in a visit to the county yesterday.

The visit was timed to coincide with Holocaust Memorial Day on Sunday – remembering the millions of people murdered in the Nazi Holocaust.

Mr Hersh told his inspiring story of survival to a captivated class of Year Five pupils and sixth formers eager to learn more about one of history’s most horrific chapters.

The 90-year-old revealed that he was incarcerated in concentration camps from the age of 11, only surviving due to luck, intuition and hope. He was moved to Auschwitz in 1944, where he remained for the rest of the war.

Mr Hersh did not find out until after the war that 81 members of his family had been killed – all except his sister, who escaped to Russia. Mr Hersh, who now lives in Leeds, was eventually freed by the Soviet Army and was in a group of 300 Holocaust-surviving children who, following their liberation, were brought to the Lake District. He said: “The Lake District holds a very special place for me.We used to swim in the lakes, I felt myself growing and healing.”

He added current society should have learned lessons 'to be human, understanding and tolerant' from the Holocaust.

"But unfortunately it seems human beings haven’t learnt an awful lot, mass murder is still taking place today," he said.

Thomas Purcell, nine, from Ormsgill School said: “It was interesting learning about how many camps he went to.”

Riley Sinclair, 10, added: “I think it’s important to learn about the Holocaust so we can learn about our past.”

Mr Hersh ended his talk stressing the need for remembrance and reflection.

Emily Armstrong, from Millom, said: “The talk was very thought-provoking. People need to understand everything that happened in the past and learn from it.”

Emily Floyd said: “The talk was very interesting. It was emotional and made me think a lot more.”

Mr Hersh has been travelling across schools for over 14 years, pledging to educate the next generation about the horrors of the past.

Councillor Sue Sanderson, who was at the event at Kendal's county hall, said: “The talk today acts as a reminder of how cruel people can be. Children are our future and need to learn from history.”