THE chairman of the Evesham branch Royal British Legion is spearheading a bid to protect war memorials from vandal attacks.

He put a motion to Worcestershire County RBL annual conference calling on the national Board of Trustees of the Legion to approach the Government to consider implementing a Conservation Order for memorials to be protected.

Mr Jeff King had the unanimous backing of delegates at the county conference and the motion will now go forward for debate at the national conference in Blackpool at the end of May. Mr King said: "Locally we were all very upset about the damage done to the Evesham War memorial in Abbey Park and that is really what sparked off my motion."

He pointed out that nationwide there were many buildings, such as village halls, churches, bus shelters and the like which housed memorials to local people which were put on the market for development.

"Developers often tear these buildings down with little or no regard for what they destroy, least of all the memory of those who gave their lives for their country," Mr King said. "It is these lesser known memorials which need the protection and the ideal outcome would be for all memorials to come under the local authority conservation officers for their protection and laying down the ground rules for their preservation and offering advice on re-siting and restoration where applicable."

He said it had been known for beautiful marble memorials with names carved on them to be smashed to pieces and the Legion wanted to see an end to "this wanton destruction of the records of those who fought and fell".

Evesham town clerk Frank Green said: "Our main problems have been graffiti and then the burning of the poppy wreaths, both of which result in the memorial having to be cleaned. "