TWO groups brought together by a shared interest held a poignant candlelit vigil at one of York's best-known monuments.

The event was held in the shadow of Clifford's Tower, and involved members of the National Union of Jewish Students and the York-based Castle Area Campaign.

Almost 40 members of the two groups held lit candles and bowed their heads while a Rabbi read a Kaddish, or prayer for the dead.

NUJS members were there to commemorate the anniversary of the death of 150 Jews in the tower in 1190.

They committed suicide rather than be murdered by an anti-Semitic mob.

The students were also making their views known about the proposed Coppergate development.

Spokesman Leon Welford said: "We don't like the sound of what is being proposed there and wanted to make that point.

"We were more than happy to hold a shared vigil, with the castle area campaigners so we could do that.

"Firstly though, for us, the vigil was about the tower itself.

"We were there to pay our respects to Clifford's Tower as a monument and the people who died there."

Members of the CAC said they had attended last night's vigil to help emphasise how important Clifford's Tower is to Jewish communities.

Campaigner Gordon Campbell-Thomas said: "The site is extremely important - there is only one other place where a comparable incident took place.

"So it is a special site. We have to ask, could a vigil of this sort take place if there was a huge shopping mall there.

"We were very pleased to join with the union of Jewish students to take part in this vigil.

"We feel very strongly this is a site that must be protected for generations to come."

richard.edwards@ycp.co.uk

Updated: 11:39 Monday, March 11, 2002