THE long-awaited war memorial in Wootton Bassett will be in place in time for Remembrance Day this year.

The stone plinth, inscribed Lest We Forget, has been in position for the past three Remembrance ceremonies in the High Street waiting for the statue.

Members of the town's War Memorial committee have visited sculptor Vivian ap Rhys Price's studio in Calne to have a look at the progress.

The statue will be cast in bronze. Four hands will support a globe, etched with the world's coastlines.

The next stage of work on the globe is already under way, and the sculptor is currently completing her work on the hands, prior to their initial casting.

The completion date will depend on the foundry's schedule, but committee secretary Susan Cooksley said: "We know that the sculpture will be in place before November 11 this year, and that the memorial will be completed free of debt. This is a major achievement."

A compartment inside the plinth will hold a waterproof document bearing the names of all Wootton Bassett personnel who lost their lives on active service in two World Wars and subsequent conflicts.