OLD soldiers today hit out after they were told they would not get an official war memorial in their town -- but they may get a computer version.

Members of the Nelson Branch of the Royal British Legion want a permanent roll of honour to remember those who lost their lives fighting for their country.

But today they were left fuming after Pendle Council said it would be 'too costly' but it may set up an 'e-memorial' where people could look at a list of names of the war dead on a computer.

Individual churches, clubs and groups in the town have commissioned memorials over the years but they have now largely disappeared from public view and the nearest Nelson has come to a memorial for the Remembrance Weekend this year is an exhibition at the Pendle Rise Shopping Centre.

The annual remembrance service will be held at the cenotaph outside the library tomorrow but the British Legion wants a roll of honour on permanent display.

Local councillor and executive director for council services, John Kirk, said: "A conventional memorial is likely to be very expensive to create and an alternative may be to promote an annual exhibition such as the one at the shopping centre and to also have available an e-memorial for people to view at the council's main reception."

But Andy Ashworth, secretary of the Nelson Royal British Legion, said the idea was outrageous.

He said: "I don't agree with an annual exhibition because it would be a mammoth task.

"Some of those memorials are very heavy and it would be difficult moving them about and where would they be stored in between?

"There should be either a permanent area to display these items where people could go whenever they wanted or a monument somewhere central which we could use for the remembrance service.

"I don't think it would cost that much to do and it would mean there would finally be a proper memorial devoted to those who died.

"We would definitely like to see that."

Coun Gary Rowland, who represents the Marsden ward, also called for a permanent war memorial.

The current display at the Pendle Rise was put together by local hiustorian Fred Stringer with help from Pendle Council, the Heritage Trust for the North West and St John Ambulance.

It includes war memorials and rolls of honour from various places including local churches, the Borough Band Club, and Marsden Mill and will be on display during opening hours until Wednesday.

But despite praise for Mr Stringer's hard work in pulling together the exhibition ,Coun Rowland still believed there should be a war memorial in Nelson, where remembrance services could be held and relatives could honour their loved ones.

He said: "I'd like to see a proper memorial in place at least by next November and would like to know costs on that if possible."