SCORES of Leigh people came to listen to a public reading of books written by a former headmaster who was affected by the Holocaust.

Alan Clegg, 60, of Standish, a retired headmaster of Pemberton High School (now known as Kingsdown) was inspired to write books about the holocaust after his Dutch wife's family helped save many Jewish people during the second world war.

He spoke about his work and the Holocaust at Leigh Library on Tuesday to help mark Holocaust Memorial Day.

Alan was moved to write his two books "Windmills" and "Where Birds Don't Sing" by his own experience with the Nazi Regime;

"I suppose I became interested in the Holocaust because of what happened to my wife and her family during the war.

"My wife Aukje and her family are Dutch and they saved a lot of Jewish people. They helped dozens to change their identities. Some became temporary Catholics for six years. Some Jewish people were physically hidden while others managed to get jobs in the country. Some Jewish people survived but some were caught."

His wife's family were under constant threat of danger during the war and were forced to go into hiding. And at the public reading Alan wore his father-in-law's false identity ring.

Alan said: "There was a price on their head and they had to go into hiding. They had to move from safe house to safe house."

Alan met his wife Aukje, who is from Friesland a province in Holland, in Germany when he was in the RAF and was seconded to the Dutch air force. He said: "We were married three months after we met."They have now been married for 33 years and live in Standish with their two children Matthew, a student at UMIST and Marieke, who attends Winstanley College.

Alan started writing novels centred around the Holocaust four years ago and he has written five books -- two of which have been published. "Where the Birds Don't Sing" is used as a school textbook for children in San Francisco. Alan hopes the Holocaust Memorial Day will help people remember everyone who was persecuted by the Nazi regime -- along with all the other races who have suffered mass killings through genocide.

"We must not forget the other people who were not accepted by the Nazis such as the Jehovah's Witnesses and homosexuals.

"Not to mention the 26-35 million murdered by Stalin -- which was bigger than anything Hitler did. Although the Holocaust is taught in schools I think it is hard for young people to comprehend what it was like. To them, it is history. It should never be forgotten."

Anybody interested in booking a talk with Alan should ring 01257 421931.