A COMMEMORATIVE plaque marking the safe return of World War One soldiers to Sparsholt has been given a new lease of life thanks to villagers.

After donations from 'Cash for Causes', run by Winchester Round Table, and generous attendees of the Remembrance Sunday observance, the plaque at the gates of St Stephen's Church has been restored.

It marks the return of the Sanders-Clark brothers, whose family lived in Church Lane.

John Wesley, churchwarden, thanked Crawley resident Paul Grellier for his work, in which the surviving damaged parts were used to form resin replicas for the missing pieces to form a complete mould.

A whole new plaque was cast in bronze, and has now taken up prime position at the entrance to the churchyard.

Mr Wesley said: “Villagers' individual contributions have now ensured that a lasting memorial can remind future generations of the community of the sacrifices of their forbears.”

He also said he and other villagers, including the 'Men Who Munch' group, have been researching first names of soldiers on the church war memorial.

“It's opened up a can of worms because there's so many,” he said.

“I have been through the burial records, but it is raising as many questions as it is answering.”

Mr Wesley added that he would like to get the plaque rededicated by “a passing bishop”.