ON a remote corner of a country lane just outside Tilbury Juxta Clare stands an unusual and a rather poignant War Memorial in the form of a crucifix on a plinth commemorating five local brave men who lost their lives in the First World War.

Having stood for nearly 100 years, I’m sure it must have been inspirational to the US airmen based at the nearby Ridgewell airfield in the second World War.

It was with a heavy heart that over the Easter period I noticed this war memorial has been desecrated and severely damaged.

To the families of Fred Hickford, Jim Kemp, Bill Kemp, Frank Laver and Lewis Parmenter, may I offer you my condolences for this sad news, I’m sure we will rally round to ensure the memorial is fully restored and the memory of your relatives will live on.

To Essex Police – I recognise cuts have taken a toll and that Tilbury Juxta Clare is now far from any operational police station but, as a retired police officer, it saddens me to see a severe lack of any police presence in this area.

I understand you are viewing this incident as ‘Vehicle damage’.

Has anyone visited the scene?

I can advise there is no evidence of tyre tracks, no damage to the plinth and the face of the statue of Jesus has been deliberately smashed.

To whoever committed this senseless and mindless act of vandalism: “Get some help”.

You should be thankful you live in a country with the freedoms these five men died for.

In many countries I’ve recently worked in, you would be imprisoned for a minimum of ten years for this act of desecration and to be honest, that’s why these countries don’t suffer from these type of incidents.

Ray Cole

Tilbury Hall Chase,

Tilbury Juxta Clare