A Holocaust survivor has marked her 102nd birthday as the community came together to celebrate the "inspirational" grandmother.

Polish born Wanda Bielecki, who lives at Alderwood Care Home in Colchester, was presented with cake and 102 flowers to mark the special occasion.

The care home helped bring together Wanda's family and friends as well as dozens of people from the Polish community in Colchester.

On the day Wanda was sung Happy Birthday in both Polish and English.

Wanda has loved at Alderwood Care Home for ten years and is affectionately known as Babcia, the Polish translation for grandma.

During the Second World War Wanda was separated from husband Jan shortly after their wedding.

In 1940 Jan was arrested and taken to Siberia by the Russians and the following year Wanda was captured by the Nazis and taken to Auschwitz Birkenau.

Throughout the war she was moved via cattle trucks to several other concentrations camps in Eastern Europe.

But unlike the millions of other victims of the Holocaust she survived and in 1946 found her way to France.

With the help of the International Red Cross she was reunited with Jan, who had been released by the Soviets and joined the Polish RAF as a flying officer.

Shortly after the war, the couple moved to Britain.

Many of her family, which includes five children, 17 grandchildren and 20 great grandchildren, were with her on her big day.

Wanda was presented with a cake made by Jade Bloomfield. Poignantly, Jade’s grandmother had also been a prisoner of war during the Second World War, at the same time as Wanda.

Son Mark said: "It’s very special that this party has been organised and developed together with the Polish community, with lots of younger Poles coming to see my mother. It’s a really impressive and heart-warming event.”

Home manager Nikki Leaney added: “We could not let this inspirational lady’s 102nd birthday go by without honouring and celebrating her life and her legacy.

“We really wanted to push the boat out for this milestone birthday and with the help of the wonderful Polish community, I think we really succeeded in making it very special.”

Tony Lee from the FaNs Community Network helped being the Polish community together to mark the day.

The event culminated in a raffle to raise money for the Ukraine Fund, a cause very close to the hearts of the Polish community.

To donate visit www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/magdalena-chambers