SHABBY railings around Richmond's Green Howards war memorial have been repaired and repainted thanks to good will on the part of the army and councillors.

The local Royal British Legion branch had been approached by residents concerned about the poor state of the railings around the monument, unveiled in 1921.

The fencing, last painted in 1977, was peeling and rusty and a section had been damaged when a vehicle crashed into it several years ago.

David Johnson, the branch's poppy appeal organiser, took on the task of getting the railings restored and approached county councillor Oliver Blease, who secured the necessary funding of £975 from North Yorkshire county council.

The commander of Catterick Garrison agreed to help and army welders, led by Maj Alan Crawford, repaired the railings. Painters David Auton and Marc Gray then moved in to scrape down the fence, apply layers of red oxide and a finishing coat of black with gold tips, to mark the Queen's golden jubilee.

Work was completed on Wednesday, when Mr Johnson presented certificates to the welders and painters.

He also gave a small wooden cross to the Green Howards, which was planted in the floral box in front of the memorial.

He was delighted that the army's generosity in completing the task free of charge meant the project cost £200 less than anticipated. Some of the cash will be used to clean the stone memorial, which stands at the top of Frenchgate steps.

The memorial was unveiled in July 1921 by Sir Hugh Bell, Lord Lieutenant of the North Riding of Yorkshire.

It had been built at a cost of £2,200, raised mainly by officers and men of 24 battalions of Green Howards, to commemorate the 7,500 men from the regiment who fought and died in the first world war.

"Since 1914, nearly 10,000 men have given their lives in service to the country," said Mr Johnson. "This is more than the population of Richmond."

He praised all involved in the restoration of the railings, which were a feature of one of the main roads into Richmond.

"It always saddens me if I see a war memorial in need of repair," he said. "To all those men who died I say I will try to do my bit to make sure that they are remembered."

The Queen is to be informed that the gold tips to the railings commemorate the 50th anniversary of her coronation.