Amnesty International is commemorating St Piran as a refugee and torture victim as Cornwall prepares to celebrate the patron saint of tinners on March 5.

Local Amnesty supporters, including members of the Truro and Falmouth Group, gathered at Perranporth Beach last week, where the saint is said to have landed in the fifth century after being expelled from Ireland because of his religious beliefs.

It is thought he was made a bishop after studying the scriptures in Rome and is credited with various miracles in Ireland in his quest to convert the native people to Christianity. His activities upset local Irish kings and warlords who tied a millstone around his neck and threw him in the sea, which eventually carried him to Cornwall.

Amnesty International Truro and Falmouth Group chairman, Wailim Wong, said: “Saint Piran was both a refugee and victim of torture – something we are still all too familiar with today in the 21st century.

“As Cornwall is preparing to welcome refugee families from Syria this year, it’s worth remembering the proud tradition Cornwall has of offering a haven to people who have been forced out of their own countries.

“Amnesty International campaigns against torture and for the rights of refugees under the UN Declaration of Human Rights, and our supporters across Cornwall have played an active role lobbying governments and keeping stories of individual suffering in the spotlight for more than 50 years.”

Anyone wishing to take part in Cornwall’s campaigns against torture or in support of refugees should contact Amnesty International Truro and Falmouth Group secretary, Margaret George, at mmargaretg@gmail.com or visit amnesty.org.uk/groups/truro-and-falmouth/about-0.