CHURCH bells will ring out across South East Cornwall today and tomorrow to mark the 70th anniversary of Victory in Europe Day.

A touring band of ringers will be in St Germans today at 1.30pm, Menheniot at 3pm, Callington at 4.30pm and in Pillaton at 6pm, with all the ringing dedicated to the VE Day anniversary.

Tomorrow towers in St Cleer, Stoke Climsland and Altarnun will ring out at 11am.

In the parish church of Phillack, near Truro, Mike Smaldon will ring the bells just as he did 70 years ago when the end of the Second World War in Europe was announced.

Many commemorative events are being planned in South East Cornwall today and over the weekend.

The Royal British Legion (RBL) is encouraging people to take part in their local celebrations to honour the extraordinary generation of men and women who did so much to help defend Britain.

In Looe, a beacon will be lit at sunset today on the Wooldown. It will be one of 107 beacons lit across the UK to mark the anniversary of the day peace was declared.

Looe Town Council and the RBL are inviting people to park at Looe Community Academy and use the shuttle bus, provided by the Lions Club, to attend the event which starts at 7.30pm.

As part of the celebrations, there will be a barbecue on the Wooldown, and a tribute will be read before the lighting of the beacon at around 9.20pm.

Meanwhile, the national RBL is asking people to share a kiss and post the photograph on social media to mark the 70th anniversary.

Celebrities such as dancer Darcy Bussell and actress Hermione Norris are lending their support to the Kiss for VE Day campaign by posing in embraces with veterans.

A photograph of a sailor sweeping a girl off her feet with a kiss in Times Square, New York, became an iconic image of VE Day.