A WAR memorial saved by residents of Darwen has been found a home.

The memorial, currently languishing in a works yard in Whitehall, bears the names of 15 First World War soldiers, but last September it was given to a museum more than 100 miles away.

After the council and campaigners stepped in, a campaign began to find it a new home in Darwen. Now a plot has been chosen in Darwen Cemetery and work to move it will start in the next few weeks.

John Starbuck, chairman of the Whitehall Park Supporters Group, said: "This is good news. We looked at several sites but this seemed to be the favourite. It's at the top of the old cemetery on the site of a former mortuary chapel.

"It's just off one of the cemetery roads and will be visible from quite a way round the cemetery."

Until last year, the 15ft-high memorial was set in the garden of the old Park Road Methodist Church but had to be moved when the chapel was converted into a private home.

All names on the memorial were local and when the only group willing to save the stone was based in Staffordshire, campaigners were up in arms. Mr Starbuck said: "At the moment it's in Whitehall Park works yard off Whitehall Road. It's in three parts at the moment waiting to be reassembled.

"The suggestion to put it in Sunnyhurst Woods was inappropriate because all the people named attended Park Road Methodist. They all lived within a stone's throw of Whitehall Park."

Coun Andy Kay, executive member for regeneration, said work to accommodate the memorial would take place in the coming weeks.

Brian Thompson, president of the Darwen branch of the Royal British Legion, said: "We are glad it's staying in Darwen.

"Different places have been suggested that seemed quite acceptable but it was pointed out quite rightly that the area where it was removed from, those are the people who have contributed to it, those are the people whose names are on it and quite a lot of people in that area wanted it bringing back to the area.

"We are agreeable to having it in the cemetery. It's going back, more or less, to where it came from."