WOOTTON Bassett is one step closer to having its own war memorial now that the final order for the monument has been placed.

The base for the memorial was installed next to the Town Hall in the High Street a year ago.

And now enough money has been raised to buy a sculpture to complete it, although a further £2,000 is needed to cover transportation and installation costs.

The project started four years ago when Army cadet Jay Cunningham, then 15, felt there was an inadequate focal point for Remembrance Day parades.

So far more than £11,000 has been raised and the sculpture, which shows a hand holding a globe, should be in place in nine months time.

Coun Susan Cooksley, chairman of the amenities committee on the town council, said: "I think a memorial is really important, especially with the current world situation.

"As time goes by, there are fewer and fewer people who remember the world wars on a personal level.

"And it is important to remember the people who came back from the war, not just those who died. They were making just as much of a sacrifice because no-one knew who would come back."

She said that at present, Wootton Bassett had been relying on a stain glass window in St Bartholomew's Church in High Street, but there was no focal point for the Armistice Day parade.

"But we are making good progress, we have had a few private donations as well as support for our fundraising efforts," she said.

"It's been a long hard slog but we are nearly there and we have had a lot of support from people in Wootton Bassett.

"We've had stalls at coffee mornings, the street festivals and the coffee mornings and the Cross Keys lets us use their back room for bric-a-brac sales."

Jay was unavailable for comment.