A college has stepped in to help with a Suffolk village’s plans for Remembrance Sunday after its war memorial was badly damaged when a police car crashed into it.
The Suffolk police vehicle was responding to a call on Friday in Norton, near Bury St Edmunds, when it was involved in a collision with a Mini and hit the memorial outside The Dog pub in Ixworth Road.
Significant damage was caused to the war memorial, which will cost thousands of pounds to repair, and a meeting was held on Monday night at Norton Baptist Church to discuss contingency plans.
West Suffolk College in Bury St Edmunds has now offered to help by getting its carpentry students to make wooden crosses for each of the people represented on the memorial for Armistice Day.
Andrew Burt, chairman of the parish council, which maintains the village landmark, said the chances of the war memorial being repaired by November 11 were “pretty slim to non-existent”.
“At the moment we are in the process of getting estimates for repair work,” he said.
“But it’s not as simple as just getting one skilled tradesman to do the work, it will require workmen from a multiple of disciplines to come together to fix it.
“But plans are now in place after I contacted West Suffolk College and spoke to lecturer Brian Tunbridge about getting the students to make wooden crosses.
“AJ Joinery in Cockfield has agreed to donate the wood and the crosses will be free standing near the memorial, about 60cm tall.
“It’s about making the best of a bad situation really. The chances of the memorial being repaired for remembrance are pretty slim to non-existent. “But we’re really pleased that the college were keen to help in the community and we’ve spoken to a few of the families who are also pleased that we’ve got something in place.”
The woman driving the Mini Clubman sustained a wrist injury while both officers in the car suffered minor bruising in the crash.
Police said some minor damage was done to a nearby stationary Audi A6.
Suffolk Constabulary said that an investigation into the collision will now take place.
Anyone who witnessed the road traffic collision should contact Suffolk police on 101, quoting CAD 164 of Friday, September 28.
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