The Cherhill White Horse is proudly displaying a splash of vivid red after being chosen as the site of the Wiltshire Poppy Appeal launch.

A giant poppy rosette was placed on the landmark on Saturday to remind people to support this year’s appeal.

Royal British Legion community fundraiser for Wiltshire Fiona Dobson said: “We hope to leave the poppy up there for the whole of Remembrance-tide, so two weeks.

“It is an amazing poppy and we are really lucky that we could use the white horse. We wanted to use a Wiltshire landmark and this was ideal.

“Hopefully when people walk up there, or see it as they drive past, they will remember to wear a poppy.”

Chairman of the Malmesbury Royal British Legion branch Derek Tilney made the four metre long poppy from carpet, donated by B&Q. He was at the Cherhill Downs for the appeal launch, along with Rob Pickford, the farmer who looks after the white horse.

Meanwhile, in Devon, meningitis survivor Lydia Cross helped launch the county’s Poppy Appeal with the help of her hero, Royal Marine Mark Ormrod.

Brave eight-year-old Lydia had both legs amputated after she was struck down with meningitis in 2003 when she was living in Hullavington, where her soldier dad Tony was based.

She was asked to start the appeal in Devon, where she and her family now live, with Mr Ormrod, who lost both legs and an arm when he was caught in an explosion in Afghanistan in 2007. Lydia’s dad, himself an Iraq war veteran, encouraged his daughter to get involved with the Royal British Legion.

Proud mum Jodie Cross said: “It is a massive honour for Lydia. She loves Mark and he’s a real hero to her because she can relate to him. He’s just so positive.

“Hopefully it will bringing the importance of the Poppy Appeal to the younger generation.”

A group of soldiers from Hullavington also marked the launch of the appeal by selling poppies outside Morrison’s in Chippenham.