AN ORFORD scout group have been spending the summer holidays tidying up the forgotten graves of war heroes.

Windermere Avenue-based 1st/14th Warrington West Scouts have been working with the War Graves Commission to restore the graves of veterans in Warrington Cemetery.

The tidy-up has been arranged to coincide with the 100th anniversary of the Battle of the Somme, which lasted for 141 days from July to November 1916.

Deputy district commissioner Susan Chadwick said: “I was just having a nosey round the internet when I came across the War Graves Commission – they want to commemorate 100 years since the Battle of the Somme by asking people all around the UK to get involved with tidying graves.

“We’ve had the man from Warrington Cemetery showing us the graves that need tidying that are scattered around and have been left, whether that’s because their family has died or they’ve just been forgotten about.”

The scouts will also look to try to track down living families members of the war heroes and will plant roses at their graves.

Susan added: “We’re planning to tidy up the graves and plant roses at them, then we’re going to look at four people and do some genealogy on them and find any living relatives they may have to show them what we’ve done.

“We will have the Last Post played on our last day of work and we’re also looking to have a little service at the Cenotaph.

“It’s important to do this because its history and we’re all a part of it – the kids are really interested in it as well.”