Carlisle will fall silent to mark 100 years since the deadliest battle of World War One.

The Battle of the Somme saw seven battalions of the Border Regiment join others from across the UK as part of the major offensive.

More than 60,000 lives - including hundreds of men from Penrith, Carlisle and Workington - were killed during the first day of the battle, on July 1, 1916.

The devastation was worst in those areas with Pals Battalions, which saw friends sign up to serve - and in many cases die - together.

There will be a vigil in Carlisle on Thursday, June 30, to allow people to pay their own tributes to those who died.

Organised by the Royal British Legion, the remembrance event will be held at the Rickerby Park War Memorial from 9.15pm.

It will include community singing, led by members of the Carlisle Veteran Male Voice Choir, and selected songs performed by local folk group “Thrice Brewed”.

There will also be a Service of Remembrance and the laying of remembrance candles or nightlights at the memorial.

A piper playing a lament will mark the end of the vigil, marching away from the scene as if heading into battle.

Tony Parrini, a member of the Royal British Legion and one of the organisers, said: "It is important we remember that the Battle of the Somme probably caused the greatest loss of Cumbrian military lives in any campaign in our history; the Border Regiment was in the thick of the battle and so many local people lost family members between July and November 1916.

"We are pleased to provide an opportunity for remembrance."

The public is invited to assemble around the Rickerby Park War Memorial from 9pm. As it is an outdoor event, people are urged to dress appropriately and bring their own seating if needed.

The event will run until about 10pm.

The service is just one of a number of commemorative events running in the county throughout this year.

Cumbria's Museum of Military Life, based at Carlisle Castle, is about to launch its Voices from the Somme Exhibition – 1916-2016. It will highlight local connections and the ordinary people involved in the battle.

The project aims to help people understand the campaign and allow Cumbrians to pay their respect to those who took part 100 years ago.

Organisers have been out and about in the county for the past few months, hosting Somme100 Community Roadshows. These offer people the chance to find out more about the campaign, get help researching World War One ancestors, handle objects from war and make a knitted poppy for a separate exhibition.

It opens to the public on June 24 and runs until November 20.