A TOWN'S mayor is hoping to unravel the mystery of a war memorial's whereabouts.

Until around 1949, a wooden plaque bearing the names of those who perished in the First World War adorned Loftus Town Hall. But the onset of rot prompted local officials to take it down with a view to preserving it for posterity.

A meeting was held at which the local church, the British Legion, and the Tradesmen's Reform Club all expressed interest in acquiring it. The memorial was packed into a case - and what happened to it next remains a mystery.

Now Coun Eric Jackson, Loftus town mayor, is hoping to solve the puzzle and restore the plaque to its former glory.

He said: "It was a carved shrine with an arch over the top of it and it looked a bit like a nativity scene. The last I heard of it after it was taken down was on May 26, 1950, when it was mentioned in a newspaper article."

The only other remaining records of the memorial are photographs of it on the side of the Town Hall and in guides of the town. It was replaced by a Second World War cenotaph in the town's High Street Gardens.

But Coun Jackson said he would love to trace the original. "If it couldn't be restored, at least it could be treasured," he said.

Anyone with information on the whereabouts of the memorial is asked to contact Coun Jackson on (01287) 641516 or Loftus Town Council on (01287) 6416000