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A monument to more than 500 deprived children buried in unmarked graves was being unveiled in east London today.

The two-metre-high Portland stone memorial depicts a pair of hands releasing a sparrow and stands in Tower Hamlets Cemetery Park.

Hundreds of Barnardo’s children were buried in the cemetery between 1876 and 1924.

Thomas Barnardo, who founded the first of his charity’s homes in 1867, buried three of his own children - Tom, Herbert and Kenward - at the same spot as the youngsters under his care.

Although all of the children were given proper burials, the charity could not afford headstones.

Jean Clark, who was helped by Barnardo’s as a child, raised the £10,000 to pay for the sculpture.

It was created by Tom Nicholls, who also helped decorate the Queen’s Jubilee barge.

Ms Clark said: “It’s been a labour of love to give these children the recognition they deserve.

"As someone who grew up in Barnardo’s care, I regard them as my brothers and sisters and wanted to ensure their lives are recognised.”

Friends of Tower Hamlets Cemetery Park heritage team discovered the precise location of the graves after thousands of hours of research.

Chief executive of Barnardo’s Javed Khan said: “This remarkable project has been made possible by a group of dedicated, passionate volunteers, particularly Jean Clark, who has single-handedly raised the funds required to bring Tom Nicholls’s beautiful creation to life.

“The incredible work of the volunteer heritage team is also to be commended.

"They have spent several years searching through burial records for the names of the children concerned, so that they can have a fitting memorial in the form of this stunning sculpture.”