A PENSIONER is hoping to have the names of his old school friends restored on a war memorial.

Years of weathering as well as a recent cleaning of the Radlett War Memorial has left some names of the Second World War dead unreadable, according to 84-year-old John Walton.

Mr Walton - who went to school with a number of the men who lost their lives in the war - wants to see the names restored as soon as possible. He is appealing for other residents of the area who may know people named on the stone memorial to get in touch.

The Radlett resident since 1937 said: "I looked at the memorial one day and thought I knew many of those names. The village has changed a lot over the years and is completely different now. Only a handful of people living here would remember the people who are on the memorial."

Aldenham Parish Council worked with the War Memorials Trust last year to have the memorial cleaned. The council has been advised that the memorial is not yet in a sufficiently poor state to qualify for full restoration work on the names - which would receive funding from the trust. However, the trust has advised that temporary restoration work, costing around £5,000, to improve the appearance could be carried out if the council funded it.

Peter Evans, the parish clerk, said the council would keep the issue under review. In the meantime Mr Walton is appealing for other local people who may be interested in supporting the restoration.

He added: "If you have a link with any of them, albeit rather distant, after more than 60 years you might consider contributing to the carving of a particular name."

Mr Walter is asking for people interested in supporting the war memorial to write to him at: John Walton, 30 Park Road, Radlett, Hertfordshire, WD7 8EQ.