A WONKY WAR memorial at a Dorset village is to be straightened and repaired.

Over the years it has developed a six-degree lean forward and 3.5 degrees to one side and could now be in danger of collapse.

The century-old memorial, outside St James Church, Daggons Road, Alderholt will have more extensive foundations fitted for stability with the main joints of the structure repointed to add to its strength.

Other smaller joints will also be repaired, as necessary, during the works with the lead lettering bearing the names of the fallen to be cleaned and re-enamelled and the whole monument to have a biocide applied to help protect the appearance of the three-metre tall monument.

A technical report says that although the Cornish granite structure, in the shape of a Celtic cross, remains fundamentally sound it is increasingly likely to collapse, the more the lean progresses.

Said a report to the parish council from a war memorial expert: “This subsidence has been caused over time due to inadequate foundations and the vibrations caused by traffic flow. It was not possible to ascertain whether the sections of the memorial are secured using any fixings and so any prolonged and/or increased subsidence is going to exert a stress on these joints possibly leading to catastrophic collapse of the main cross section.”

The memorial was unveiled in September 1920 commemorating eighteen local servicemen who died in the First World War with the names of six local men added following the Second World War.

Dorset Council has granted consent for the works to go ahead after a planning application with listed building consent was submitted by Alderholt parish council.