A NEW war memorial could be built on Canvey in time for this November’s Remembrance Sunday service.

The existing war memorial, outside the Paddocks, in Long Road, is scruffy and rundown and the island’s war memorial hall committee has plans to replace it with something more fitting, The old memorial was built in 1926 on the corner of Craven Avenue and Long Road and later moved to the Paddocks.

The committee is asking Castle Point councillors to back its plans for a new memorial at Wednesday’s cabinet meeting.

Joan Liddiard, a member of the memorial hall committee and a Canvey Island Independent Party member of Castle Point Council, said the memorial was in a poor state.

She added: “It would be ideal to keep the original, but it is badly damaged. It wouldn’t be cost-effective to have it refurbished.”

Mrs Liddiard said her committee was keen to retain the features of the original memorial, but put them in a better-quality setting.

She explained: “We hope to have something to match what we have now, moving the names from the original to the newone.

“A lot of work is needed and Castle Point Council has kindly offered to draw up some of the designs.”

If the new memorial is given the go-ahead, then rebuilding work could start soon after Armed Forces Day in June, and could be ready for Remembrance Sunday, this year.

With 2014 being the centenary of the outbreak of the First World War, the timing is especially apt.

MrsLiddiardsaid:“Workonthe memorial has been in the pipeline for the past few years and we are hoping they will get it done for Remembrance Day in November.

“This might not be possible, because of the amount of work which will go into replacing it, but if it does get done, it would be the icing on the cake.”

About 900 people usuallyattend the annual service of remembrance at the Paddocks everyyear to remember the island’s war dead.