A memorial garden was official opened on Wednesday to commemorate International Day of Peace.

The garden, at the St Albans Road entrance to Stanborough Park, in Garston, was opened as a tribute to all those who have stood for peace in wars and for those who seek peace and stress-relief.

A former world leader of the Seventh-Day Adventist Church, Robert Folkenberg was at the opening of the garden and spoke about the church's attitude to war at the start of the Iraq conflict.

He said: " The Seventh-Day Adventist Church teaches its member to value peace and to live in peace with God and their fellow men.

"Seventh-Day Adventists endorse a position of non-combatancy.

"We are committed to rise above conflict and above embargoes, wherever they are to heal the sick, to alleviate suffering, and to do so without asking questions and without expecting reward."

During the First World War there were 130 Seventh-day Adventist conscripts, many from the Watford area, who refused to bear arms during the war, some worked on the land or in other areas of national importance.

Others, both for their refusal to fight, and for dedication to their belief including the Sabbath day of rest (Saturday), spent the war in various prisons around the country.

In particular in May 1916, sixteen students from the Stanborough Missionary College then sited on Stanborough Park were conscripted into the 3rd Easter Non Combatant Corps and sent to work in the docks at Le Havre.

Sticking firmly to their principles of not working on Sabbath, which had previously been granted, and despite being recognised for their good service, they were court martialled in November the following year and sentenced to six months hard labour.

This memorial in part recognises the suffering of these men along with others of many different faiths or no faith at all who stood firm to their principles, taking severe ridicule, beatings and punishment whilst themselves upholding the value and dignity of human life.

The ribbon-cutting ceremony followed a short service of remembrance in the nearby church. Several descendants of those who experienced suffering for their beliefs at this time watched as former Watford resident, Garth Till, whose father had been one of the students court-martialled in France, cut the ribbon.

Following this the daughter of another of that group commented that at the same time we should never forget the sacrifice of those who gave their lives for our freedom and the peace we enjoy today.