PARTS of Wiltshire could miss out on commemorating the end of World War One with a Tommy statue after the council refused to say if plans were in place to buy one of the figures.

A veteran has spoken out about his disgust that no decision to install the silhouette figurine, at a cost of £750, has been made during the year that marks a century since the end of the war.

The Tommy statue shows an outline of a soldier from the trenches holding a rifle and helmet, as part of charity Remembered's There But Not There campaign. The charity wants all local authorities to buy the statues as a national acknowledgement of the 800,000 British and Commonwealth troops killed in the war.

Former serviceman Peter Mallison raised concerns after reading that Lord Dannatt, former head of the British Army, had written to 433 local authorities asking them to buy one of the statues but only 160 had replied.

While Swindon Borough Council has bought a statue, Wiltshire Council has yet to confirm if it will follow suit.

Mr Mallison, from Swindon, said: "I have just read page 4 of the Daily Mail headlined Insult to our Heroes where it is reported that many of our local council are refusing to buy these Tommy Silhouettes to commemorate servicemen who gave their lives in WW1. The pathetic excuses they give are reported as pitiful. The cost is quoted to be £750 per silhouette, not an astronomic sum."

A Wiltshire Council spokesman said: “We made a fitting tribute to the 10,000 Armed Forces personnel who lost their lives protecting our freedom in the First World War by marking the 100 years start of the War in 2015 with A Wall of Remembrance, with a named cross for each that made this sacrifice. “ To mark the end of WW1 across Wiltshire, working with local town and parish councils and community groups 10,000 trees will be planted to represent, recognise and remember those who lost their lives. We are considering the There But Not There project and whether this could form part of how we commemorate the end of the war.”

Despite the delay form the council, two Tommys have been purchased by a shopping centre in Warminster after the owners decided to provide a tribute to servicemen in the Three Horseshoes Walk shopping parade.

Bob Wright, chairman of Warminster British Legion, said: "Placing the Silent Soldiers for the community in such a prominent position is a lovely and fitting tribute.”