THE Faithful Durhams who are campaigning to have the DLI (Durham Light Infantry) collection housed under one roof, met in Durham town centre on Saturday in order to protect the town's statues and monuments.

The meeting coincided with the Black Lives Matter protest, which took place in Palace Green outside of the Cathedral.

The campaign comes after Durham County Council and the DLI Trustees closed the Museum in 2016.

Diane Inglis, secretary, said: "It was D-Day on Saturday so we were at the DLI Statue in the Market Place to lay a wreath in remembrance, so when Veteran Geoff Wheadon, lay the wreath it was in honour of the sacrifice given by so many.

"It was done respectfully, with great emotion and to a massive round of applause by the people that were there.

"The people in the Market Place were not protesting, though it is being reported on social media that there were 'footballers' there, if they were, they certainly had no impact on why we were there.

"The people were County Durham people who, rightly or wrongly, had been told that the statues in the Market Place could be damaged.

"Now we as a group have seen the DLI Regimental history being totally pushed aside, and we did not want the DLI Statue to be damaged.

"There was no trouble, the police were there in force, so obviously they felt something could have happened to the statues.

"There was good dialogue with the police and we were not ushered or told to get out of the Market Place.

"The police assured us the statues would be protected and shortly after that people went about their own business.

"The majority of people in the Market Place kept to social distancing rules.

"We are not extremists in any shape or form, simply people who want to honour our fathers and grandfathers for their sacrifice.

"After all almost every County Durham family was connected to the DLI."

The story of the DLI begins in 1758, when General John Lambton of County Durham first raised the 68th Regiment of Foot as part of the British Army.

Fifty years later, the 68th was chosen to become a new light infantry regiment and was sent to fight in Wellington's Army in Portugal and Spain.

For more go to www.durham.gov.uk/dlicollection