THE restoration of Malton’s historic war memorial has been marked with a special ceremony.

Malton and Norton Rotary Club has led the project, with the help of Malton Town Council, with the aim of it being completed in time for the commemoration of the centenary of the end of the First World War next month.

The project was to clean and restore the memorial and to add a new plaque recording 14 men whose names were originally omitted.

The new plaque was officially unveiled by Sir Philip and Lady Isabella Naylor-Leyland, of Fitzwilliam Malton Estate, in a dedication ceremony on last month, which included an address by Reverend Glyn Diggins.

The 7th Earl Fitzwilliam unveiled the original war memorial in 1921.

The cleaning of the stonework was carried out by the Fitzwilliam Malton Estate’s in-house building team.

The final stage will be the reinstatement of the iron railings which were removed during the two world wars, as the iron was melted down for the war effort. Part-funding for the new railings comes from the Earl Fitzwilliam Charitable Trust.

Tony Kingston, president of the Malton and Norton Rotary Club, said: “As a club, we feel privileged to honour the men and women who during the two world wars, and in subsequent conflicts, have given their lives for our freedom. It is particularly rewarding to have identified and now honour those who, until the restoration, had not had their names rightly displayed on the town’s war memorial.”

Cllr Paul Emberley, deputy mayor of Malton Town Council, said: “The town council is particularly grateful to the support over many months from the Malton and Norton Rotary Club, the Fitzwilliam Malton Estate, the Malton, Norton and District Lions Club, Norton Town Council and the Malton, Norton and District Branch of the Royal British Legion, each of whom have helped to make this restoration possible, and especially I might add, through the tenacity of Colin Jennings and John Howard, their project team and the contractors.

“As we especially honour the fallen once again in this very special way – our heroes shouldn’t just be remembered – they should be used as an example to inspire us all."