A VETERAN is being labelled a hero after making a 'Tommy’ soldier to replace the one installed at Newton-le-Willows cemetery that was destroyed by yobs.

Silhouette soldiers, known as 'Tommies', were placed in different areas of the borough last year to mark the 100th anniversary of the end of the First World War.

On Sunday, it was discovered that a 'Tommy' soldier silhouette at Newton-le-Willows Cemetery was found to have had its head removed and this act of vandalism has been strongly condemned in the community.

However, one man decided to do something about it. Dad-of-five Bernard Healey remade the Tommie out of wood and installed all of the tributes left in memory of the servicemen who had died from the area.

St Helens Star:

Bernard building the Tommie 

St Helens Star:

Speaking to the Star, Bernard, 48, a Royal Artillery veteran, said: “When I saw what happened on social media I was really angry. I’m part of St Helens veterans and we as a group go round cleaning them because they symbolise so much.

“I decided I’d go down and fix it but the head off it was missing, so I decided to make my own one.

“I’ve added all of the tributes to those who died on it and posted it online and the response has been overwhelming.

“I just wanted to turn a negative thing into a positive thing. I’m from Salford originally but I know that people round here pull together in crisis and that’s what it is all about.

READ>Yobs vandalise Tommy statue at ceremony

“My kids have told me thumbs up as well, so that’s nice for me. But I didn’t do it for praise, it was just the right thing to do.”

St Helens Star:

The new Tommy silhouette is set to be installed in the chapel at Newton-le-Willows cemetery this Saturday, June 22.