A MEMORIAL picnic remembering the life of Allied spy Violette Szabo, who was executed aged 23, was a resounding success.

Hundreds of people, including some who had travelled from various parts of the world, turned up for Sunday's event, which included a church service and the launch of a book and a calendar devoted to the special agent.

The event was held at the Violette Szabo museum in Wormelow and coincided with Violette's birthday and the fifth anniversary of the museum opening.

After the service, which featured a poem read by actress Virginia McKenna, who played Violette in the 1958 film Carve Her Name With Pride, visitors made their way outside for a shared picnic.

"It was fantastic," said Rosemary Rigby, the founder of the museum and the picnic's organiser. "We had people who had come from all over the world and local dignitaries. It was a lovely day."

The day was also devoted to other spies and resistance leaders who were executed at the same time as Violette.