SUNNYHURST Wood, Darwen, may get the town's First World War memorial.

Previous possible locations for the 15ft-high stone memorial, which bears the names of 15 soldiers, were Darwen Cemetery and Whitehall Park.

But Royal British Legion members have put forward Sunnyhurst as an alternative.

Dennis Gillibrand, of the Friends of Sunnyhurst, backs the idea. He said: "The Friends have been approached by the British Legion to see if they can put the memorial somewhere in the woods.

"We have found a couple of places that would be possible and we have spoken to the Civic Society who agreed it was a good idea. It could go near to the visitor centre or up in the Lychgate area."

The memorial was due to be moved 100 miles from the old Park Road Methodist Church in Darwen to the National Memorial Arboretum in Alrewas, Staffordshire, because the owner of the church had nowhere to put it.

But Coun Karimeh Foster, of Whitehall ward, started a campaign to save the memorial after demanding it stayed in the town.

It was then put in storage until a safe place could be found.

Margaret Westhead, whose husband Richard suggested the woods, said: "We don't think it will get vandalised there and a lot of people go to the woods.

"It would be well seen because people go in there for many events, as well as the ramblers who walk through. The woods would be better than the cemetery and Whitehall Park, which are a bit of a way out."