A TOWN hall is set to be turned into a temporary museum to honour fallen heroes - and local people are being urged to play a role with anecdotes and stories of their long-dead relatives.

Northallerton town councillors agreed to spend up to £2,380 to buy plaques for every person named on the town’s memorial as part of the 100th anniversary events for Armistice Day, commemorating the end of the First World War.

They will also be purchasing two six foot tall "Tommies" -aluminium silhouettes which are being offered as part of the "There But Not There" campaign to mark the end of the war.

The aim is to put the silhouettes as a centrepiece on the balcony of the town hall, and possibly on the war memorial at All Saints Church.

Deputy Mayor Cllr Claire Palmer proposed that the council mark the event properly. “The There But Not There campaign is a tribute to the 888,000 soldiers who lost their lives. On our memorial we have 88 names and I think we should honour them all as a mark of respect.

“The statue silhouettes of the Tommies will also be a focal point. The aim would be to set up a temporary museum in the upper hall of the town hall hopefully with information from the families of the men telling their stories.”

Mayor Cllr John Forrest said it was important to have a fitting tribute to the men who had made the ultimate sacrifice.

“It is possible that if we can bring together information and tributes to the soldiers that could later be moved into a new heritage site - which is what they want to set up as part of the new prison development.”

Councillor John Prest said: "It is important that we keep these people in public view to ensure they are remembered.”

Councillors also agreed to donate £1,000 to the British Legion for representatives of Northallerton to attend the Great Pilgrimage marking 90 years since relatives of the dead marched to the Menin Gate in Flanders commemorating the fallen.

Cllr Jack Dobson said: "Freedom is not free, these men gave their lives for this country and it is important that this event is supported. The families of many of these men marked their passing by leaving legacies of land which we now use today as the Applegarth play area which has been developed for children and young people."