Muir welcomes progress to protect war memorials

North Down Alliance Councillor Andrew Muir has welcomed progress in North Down to protect war memorials from theft. The Alliance representative has been campaigning on the issue since he became aware of a growing problem across other parts of the UK where war memorials have disgracefully been stolen due to the prices now being paid for scrap metals.

Cllr Muir remarked: “I recently raised concerns that war memorials could be stolen at North Down Borough Council and am satisfied to report that comprehensive action has been taken.

“Council now has a record of every inscription and all our main war memorials have been photographed.

“Funding will also be sought from the War Memorials Trust to mark each war memorial with Smartwater in order to give each memorial a forensic signature which cannot be removed.

“Funding is being sought from a scheme set-up by the Trust to mark 100th Anniversary of the First World War in 2014 which will ensure greater protection of war memorials across the UK.

“Since these actions relate purely to Council owned or maintained memorials I would encourage any other bodies with war memorials (such as, for example, Churches) to apply for funding from the Trust’s Memoriam 2014 project which allows for memorials to be protected free of charge.”

ENDS