A memorial garden commemorating those from Exmouth schools who fell in World War One and Two has been formally opened at Exmouth Community College.

The garden was inspired by work the Royal British Legion (RBL) carried out with college students last year – the 100th anniversary of the start of the war – and was delivered with funding totalling £11,000 from the RBL, Exmouth Town Council and the National Lottery.

It was opened on Armistice Day and features a full list of those who fell, which was made possible by RBL research.

College principal Tony Alexander said: “This is one of the proudest achievements of my time at the college.

“I am most grateful to the members of the community and my staff who have helped me realise this vision of a permanent memorial to those who lost their lives in two dreadful wars.

“A stone will also be placed in the garden in memory of Mr Ian Purchase, an inspirational science teacher who died tragically young earlier this year.”

Representatives of the town council, RBL and the college, attended the opening of the garden, which saw it blessed by the Reverend Robert Sellers.

The garden has been designed and laid out by technology teacher Penny Smith, who is a trained horticulturalist.

The garden has also resulted in students from the college’s Gifted and Talented programme being involved in research work regarding Exmouth people and World War One.

This will lead to the creation of a body of work to be retained by the college for those who wish to understand more about the events and people marked by the garden.

The college says that anyone who wishes to visit the garden, on its Gipsy Lane site, would be welcome.