OLD soldier Wayne Cherry has been hailed a hero by two charities after raising cash by holding 100 hours of remembrance in the lead up to November 11.

Mr Cherry was on parade in both The Brittox, Devizes and in his home village of Rowde to honour the fallen. He also raised £1,110.44 for Cancer Research UK and £1,335.87 for the Rowdeford Charity Trust.

He has now handed over the money in two cheque presentations. In Devizes he met with Frank Marshall chairman of the Devizes Fundraising Committee of Cancer Research UK, who thanked Wayne for his generosity in standing in all weather to raise the money that will go towards research for finding a cure for cancer.

In Rowde he met with Mike Bowden the president of the Rowdeford Charity Trust which supports Rowdeford special school.

Villager Alan Watters said: “Wayne is our village hero. He staged a stand of remembrance on The Hill in Rowde and The Brittox in Devizes and over 32 days he stood for a total of 104 hours.

Mr Cherry posted regular updates of his remembrance on social media and wrote movingly of the many different people he met. He said: “It was a small token of my gratitude of those who paid the ultimate price for the freedom we enjoy today.”