CHILDREN staged a lantern parade through an Oxford nursery's garden to celebrate a saint.

Hunsdon House Garden School in Headington marked St Martin's Day as per its annual tradition - inviting children to make lanterns for a procession, and sing songs in front of parents and families.

Also known as the Feast of Saint Martin, the event fell this year on Sunday, November 11 and the nursery celebrated it two days early on Friday, November 9.

It is dedicated to St Martin of Tours, an altruistic Roman solider who legend celebrates for being a friend to children and patron of the poor.

He left the Roman military and became a bishop, and created almshouses, gave food and shelter to those who needed it most, and is said to have shared his cloak with a beggar on a cold night.

The tradition of remembering St Martin and thinking about poorer people in society originates in France and Germany, and has spread to other areas of the world.

Hunsdon House Nursery, which was founded in the 1920s, is located in Osler Road and has built a tradition for celebrating St Martin's Day.

Children at the independent nursery parade through the grounds after dark, carrying handmade lanterns and singing songs, before acting out the legend of St Martin and the Poor Man.

The parade took place at 5pm and families were asked to come along and watch, to learn from the good deeds of St Martin.

Similar processions take place across Europe on St Martin's Day, usually led by someone on horseback who pretends to be St Martin.

Hunsdon House was rated 'outstanding' in 2015 - the regulator's top standard - following a notice to improve in 2011.

The report said children 'flourish' in the setting, and staff were praised for offering an 'abundance of stimulating and exciting resources'.