FORMER munitions workers were honoured for their service in a ceremony at the weekend.

A vital part of the war effort, the women who worked at the Rotherwas Royal Ordnance Factory lived lives full of danger.

Constructed to meet the First World War's demand for munitions in 1916, ROF Rotherwas was used to produce shells and bombs for the Royal Air Force during the Second World War.

A largely female workforce staffed the facility, filling shells for the front line.

But in the course of their work, they faced the constant dangers posed by the presence of such large quantities of explosive materials and the threat of being bombed.

Nicknamed the 'Canary Girls' after the TNT they worked with stained their hair and skin yellow, many also suffered a host of health conditions resulting from chemical exposure.

On Saturday, Vera Prisk, Dora Powell and Alice Herring were recognised for their contribution to the war effort, with commemoration badges presented by the Mayor of Hereford, Councillor Kath Hey at the Hereford Archive and Records Centre.

Provided by BAE Systems, who took over many of the ROF sites after the war, the badges have been presented to almost 50 former munitions workers from across the UK so far.