AN exhibition marking Chester-le-Street's war memorials will be launched in the town on Remembrance Day.

The Our War Memorials in 2000 exhibition was funded by Lottery Awards for All and is the work of local people, who researched and photographed scores of memorials throughout the district.

The display celebrates the fact that Chester-le-Street and surrounding villages still have a wealth of memorials from the conflicts of the last 100 years.

Dorothy Hall, who organised much of the display, said: "This exhibition does not celebrate the wars, but rather the fact that the people who survived them made the effort to remember those who did not."

As well as the display, the memorial to Merchant Navy apprentice, Donald Owen Clark, who received the George Cross for his bravery, has been redesigned and will also open on Saturday.

Dorothy said: "We are very grateful to the community of Chester-le-Street and district who provided information, photographs and memories."

The ceremony, is at 10.45am at the civic centre, on Sunday. Chester-le-Street District Council chairman Ian Wilson will open the exhibition after the two minutes silence and a short service by the Reverend Marc Palmer.

The exhibition is due to tour the district, and will be on show at Birtley, Pelton, Sacriston and Chester-le-Street libraries into the New Year. For more details contact the Civic Centre.