The service replicates one held in1949 to unveil a plaque to men from Ryhope Grammar School

Residents say the two statues are a tribute to those who died in the village's collieries.

The latest theft comes after an identical statue was stolen from a village sign in October 2021.

Bill Mather, who worked in Ryhope's Grand Cinema in the 1950s, is among the first to see inside.

Nath Brown, from Sunderland, is hoping he will now be able to play music across the UK and Europe.

The land near Ryhope beach has eroded by about 16ft (5m) in the past five years, a council says.

The coastguard is warning people to avoid letting pets "wander off" around cliffs after the rescue.

Villagers in Ryhope, near Sunderland, woke to find the fibre-glass replica had appeared overnight.