Budleigh Salterton's war memorial is to undergo a �2,000 facelift thanks to funding by the town council.

Budleigh Salterton's war memorial is to undergo a �2,000 facelift thanks to funding by the town council.

The members this week agreed the town would pay for the Devon granite memorial to be cleaned and to also fix new hooks onto the lower plinth to prevent Remembrance Day wreaths from blowing into the sea.

The total cost of the work to the town is around �2,900.

Budleigh's Royal British Legion spokeswoman Glenn Sismore-Hunt said: "I would like to thank the council for taking it on and cleaning it.

"I don't think it's been cleaned since 1949. It was taken down during the war because it was landmark. They put it back in 1949 and after that there's no record of it being cleaned.

"Once it's done it's going to shine because it's got quartz in the granite. It will do the memorial justice.

"It's a focal point. People like to go there and read the names.

"We get a lot of wreaths now so we will be able to net them down and stop them taking off in the wind."

The work will be carried out by Exeter-based Langmead Memorials, who plan to wash the granite using soft bristles and water, and also steam clean the stone.

Gentle chemicals will be used to remove any stubborn algae or lichen.

The memorial lettering from all the 855 raised lead letters will have the old paint cleaned off, before being repainted in black enamel.

The addition of four stainless steel hooks to the lower plinth will allow netting to be secured to prevent the wreaths from being blown into the sea.