A FORMER mining community will officially unveil a new war memorial commemorating men who paid the ultimate sacrifice.

A ceremony, attended by families of the men it pays tribute to and a Durham Light Infantry standard bearer, will be held in the cemetery of Hesleden, east Durham, at 10am on Wednesday.

The Blackhalls Local History Group worked in conjunction with Monk Hesleden Parish Council to provide the memorial bearing the names of 51 people who died in the two world wars.

History group treasurer Stan Gray said: “Hesleden has never had a war memorial.

“It was Durham county councillor Rob Crute who approached me and said it would be a good idea if we had one.

“As part of the project we have researched nine servicemen from the commemorative plaque which was originally housed in St John’s Church, before it was de-consecrated.

“We found that there are still living relatives of these servicemen, so scrolls will be presented to a member of their families by Dorothy Hall of the the North East War Memorial Project at the unveiling ceremony.

Four children who have relatives mentioned on the plaque will unveil the memorial, while a further eight children will lay crosses.

After tomorrow’s ceremony there will be a display and presentation, with refreshments in the Hesleden Methodist Chapel. The village will also celebrate the return of three crosses belonging to the family of Mildred Tempest - originally housed in the disused St John's Church.