A former Gurkha is launching a bid to create a memorial in Folkestone to fallen soldiers of the regiments.

Town councillor Dhan Gurung would like to see the memorial in the town before the end of next summer, when the Second Royal Gurkha Rifles swap homes with the 1sts.

The home town of the Gurkha regiment since 2000, Folkestone has a large Nepalese population of former and current Gurkhas.

There are many British soldiers who have served with the regiment and the memorial would be for them, as well as the Nepalese.

Cllr Gurung’s ideal memorial would be a statue of a Gurkha on the triangle of land on the way into Cheriton from the M20 outside Tesco, but he is open to other suggestions.

He said: “Gurkhas moved here in 2000 and when they moved here, many settled here with the fine reputation of the regiment. They are part of Folkestone and Folkestone is part of them. Those who have died in action died from this town and yet we have no memorial. I want to change that.”

He and two other trustees, Cllrs Tim Prater and Lynne Beaumont will manage the charity, with a website and more to publicise its aims.

The bronze Gurkha statue put up in Maidstone earlier this year cost between £22,000 and £25,000.

Cllr Gurung - who was the first Nepalese councillor in Britain - reckons on raising more than £32,000 for the cause.

He said: “Firstly I’m hoping to secure some of the funding from my local residents; they are my best supporters and great friends of the Gurkhas. I have been in meetings with them and hopefully all the Royal British Legion branches will help, and hopefully Joanna Lumley will also be involved.

“The Gurkhas have served this country for years and in the case of Krishna Dura [a Colour Sergeant killed last month] that was the third time he had been on the front line in Afghanistan. If you keep sending people again and again, people will be killed. But then, that is being a soldier.”

Cllr Gurung served in the Royal Gurkha Rifles until 2004, when he left as a corporal.