By Hayley Robinson

A kind-hearted builder from Sittingbourne is needed to remove a number of memorial plaques free of charge.

The Milton Regis War Memorial needs to remove the plaques, which are on plinths in Central Avenue, so they can be cleaned and installed on the bottom plinth of a new war memorial (pictured) currently being created by artist Elliott Brotherton.

The original 1919 war memorial at Holy Trinity Church, Green Porch Close, was destroyed in the Great Storm of 1987. The new Portland Stone sculpture features a hexagonal base with a monolith and a cross.

So far the committee has raised £20,000 towards the £35,000 project, but Mr Brotherton agreed to start work on it regardless.

The committee hopes to have at least the bottom part of the sculpture in place for this year's Remembrance Sunday service.

Committee member Cllr Adam Tolhurst said: "It would be great to have the memorial in place in time for Remembrance Sunday. We may only have part of it, but at least there would be something in place.

"We would like a local builder either from Milton Regis or Sittingbourne to volunteer to remove the plaques for us free of charge.

"We also wanted to let people to know they will disappear for cleaning, not that they have been stolen.

"Further donations are needed to raise the total needed and we are currently in the process of applying for National Lottery Heritage Lottery Funding."

Anyone wishing to make a donation or who can help with the removal of the plaques should call Cllr Tolhurst on 01795 475888.