A plaque that celebrates the role of Bristol sailors in bringing about an end to the slave trade has been unveiled in the city centre.

It was unveiled in Thomas Lane outside the Seven Stars pub on Friday, by Caribbean historian Richard Hart and members of Bristol Radical History Group.

The colourful plaque tells the story of Cambridge graduate Thomas Clarkson, who came to Bristol in 1787 to find out more about the slave trade.

A visit to the Seven Stars introduced him to slave ship sailors, who gave first hand accounts of life in the trade that would be used to form the Abolitionist movement of the late 18th and early 19th century.

The launch was attended by more than 70 people, included race campaigner Paul Stephenson, University of the West of England historian Madge Dresser and members of the history group.

Member Roger Wilson, a 43-year-old engineer of Eastville, said: "It was great, all our famous dignitaries turned up, it was a really good time.

"We really got across the importance of the Seven Stars, the Abolitionists and the connection to Bristol sailors.

"It's really important for Bristolians to realise it wasn't the high and mighty, it was ordinary people who blew the whistle.

"The only people involved in the slave trade who had no reason to protect it were the Bristol sailors – they had seen the horrors of the trade and were victims of it themselves.

"Bristolians should be proud of these sailors, and proud of the landlord of the Seven Stars, Thompson, who welcomed Clarkson, and ran a clean pub. He wouldn't have press gangs to get sailors on to ships."