Memorial to host another remembrance

A Black Country war memorial garden which was destroyed by vandals will host its second remembrance service since a £100,000 restoration next month.

Metal thieves and yobs targeted the memorial in Cradley Heath, daubing satanic messages over the names of the war dead and ripping the arms off the statue of Christ before nailing it to the church door.

Campaigners from Cradley Heath Action Forum secured £100,000 to restore the statue at St Luke's church and protect it with glass to deter vandals. The war memorial garden and churchyard were also modernised with new cobbled pathways, a white peace dove and landscaping.

The restored war memorial and memorial gardens were re-dedicated on Remembrance Sunday last year and have been free from vandal attacks since.

Community leaders are now gearing up for a second Remembrance service there on November 8 at 3pm, with ex-servicemen, emergency services, schoolchildren and politicians all expected to take part in the wreath-laying ceremony, with music from the Cradley Heath Salvation Army Band.

CHAF secretary Margaret James, an alderman and former councillor, said they had decided to go ahead with another Remembrance service following the success of last year's ceremony.

"It is through four years hard work by members of CHAF that we were able to raise £100,000 to enable the restoration of the memorial and garden to take place," she said.

"I am pleased to say that there have been no thefts or vandalism done to the war memorial or the gardens during the last 12 months.

"We are therefore hoping that all our efforts on behalf of the local community will continue to provide to be worthwhile."

The ceremony will take place at 3pm and members of the public will be welcome.