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'Desecrated' memorial re-planted for Remembrance Day

BBC A concrete plinth with two metal black silhouettes of soldiers, a flagpole between them with a union jack flag and a poppy tied to it halfway down. Small shurbs have been planted along the path and around the plinth. All surrounded by grass.BBC
Local businesses have come together to pay for the new plants

A war memorial that had more than 50 of its new plants stolen earlier this year has been re-planted in time for Remembrance Sunday.

The first set of plants were taken from the memorial along Marlowe Way in Royal Wootton Bassett, Wiltshire, just before D-Day commemorations.

Mayor Pat Farrow said: "We were devastated that someone - I don't think it's too strong a word - would desecrate our memorial."

Now local businesses have paid for the new plants ready for people to pay their respects.

Luke Morgan, from one of the businesses, said: "The community supports us, I think we should pay it back. We see it everyday."

Royal Wootton Bassett is well-known for paying its respects to fallen military personnel, with the repatriations of UK soldiers killed in Afghanistan regularly taking place in the town from 2007 until 2011.

Tony Jones looks into the camera while standing in front of the memorial. He wears a grey cap and fleece, which both have the town council logo.
Tony Jones works for the town council and found the plants stolen earlier this year

Tony Jones works for the town council and is also a former soldier, starting in the military when he was 16.

He found the plants missing when he went to put up a fresh flag for the D-Day commemorations.

"I felt they decimated something that meant a lot to me and a lot to the community as well," he said.

Mr Jones remembers telling his boss: "I'm not joking, they've nicked the box hedging."

"It's disgusting what these people did," he added.

Royal Wootton Bassett Town Council A concrete path with upturned soil in a row along each side - holes can be seen when plants would once have been.Royal Wootton Bassett Town Council
The plants lining the path were dug up earlier this year

While the Remembrance parade centres around the town centre memorial, the memorial on Marlowe Way marks the town's history with repatriations and originally was home to a huge marble poppy.

This collapsed and - following plans for a replacement poppy in a different material - was replaced by the soldier silhouettes seen today as another place for people to pay their respects.

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