by Emma Grove

Ancestors of servicemen listed on a restored war memorial have unveiled it during a re-dedication ceremony.

It bears the names of 197 servicemen from Milton Regis who died in the First World War.

The memorial was removed from St Paul's Church before it was demolished in the 1960s and given to Holy Trinity Church in Milton Regis for safe keeping.

The memorial was then placed in a room above the church vestry and forgotten about until it was discovered by a church warden last year. Antique furniture restorer Peter Fournel restored the memorial after Terry Matson raised the funds.

A re-dedication took place at Holy Trinity Church on Saturday, September 17. The memorial been placed on the rear of the church's organ.

It was unveiled by two-year-old Harry Akehurst and 10-year-old Charlotte Curston, whose ancestors Harry Akehurst and William Brenchley are among the servicemen named on the plaque.

Around 140 people went to the service, including Mayor and Mayoress of Swale Cllr Ben Stokes and Cllr Sylvia Bennett, and members of Sittingbourne and Milton Regis sea, air and army Cadets.

They laid 197 poppies in recognition of those servicemen who gave their lives. It cost £2,450 to carry out the restoration work, which included repairing the corners and engraving the names again.

The plaque, which measures about 3ft by 3ft, is made of teak taken from the timbers of the historic ship HMS Britannia.

Mr Matson gave a reading at the service about the history of the memorial. He added: "The ceremony went really well and we had a few Second World War veterans come along.

"The Cadets that came on the day were absolutely outstanding - they played a great role."