The local Alliance representative was speaking after Ards and North Down Borough Council agreed a £20,000 project that will see the 11 local war memorials refurbished, with work including new memorial plagues, new seating close by and boundary railings and walls replaced appropriately.
Councillor Andrew Muir said: “I’m delighted to see the Council taking significant steps to ensure all local war memorials are restored ahead of the 2018 anniversary.
“Protecting local war memorials from vandalism and theft has been an issue I have worked tirelessly on and previously I secured funding from the War Memorials Trust to enhance security for local memorials.
“A great many men from across Ards and North Down gave their lives during World War 1 and it is only right that 100 years on we recognise and respect the sacrifice they made.
“I will be monitoring progress on this project to ensure everything runs on schedule – estimated to take 18 months to complete, we cannot afford to fall behind.”