WATCHET'S planned war memorial will be based on a design by local youngster Roxy Towells.

Organisers behind the £18,000 appeal challenged pupils at the town's Knights Templar First School to come up with ideas for the memorial, which will be sited on The Esplanade.

And Roxy's Celtic-themed cross was picked as the winner.

Sara Summers, fundraising co-ordinator for the Watchet Remembrance Project Group, said: "Roxy's design was simple but captured all the elements our group was looking for.

"It has reverence and a Celtic theme true to our West Country's history."

Former Knights Templar teacher Pete Stevenson drew a larger version of Roxy's design which, when funds permit, will be given to an architect or sculptor to create the finished product.

Fundraising has so far brought in £2,700 for the appeal but Mrs Summers said that now an artist's impression of the memorial existed it was hoped the town would really get behind the appeal and support events.

"With a lot of hard work and the help of the wider community, we want to complete it by the 100th anniversary of the outbreak of the First World War in 2014," she said.

"We are delighted the way all the children put their thoughts onto paper and gave us such a hard task to choose from.

'It was a difficult process as there were so many designs and the quality of the artwork from children so young was amazing.

"Many of them moved us because they had added words to their pictures, like 'they made us free'."

Mrs Summers said the site chosen for the memorial would have been the last place servicemen would have seen as they left Watchet to go off to war by train.

"This memorial will bring them home in name and spirit," she added.

The unveiling of the design at Knights Templar also included the presentation of a number of community awards, given to local businesses and organisations who have helped the memorial project.

These included Andrew's fish and chip shop, the Phoenix Centre, the Knit and Natter Group, the Co-op in Swain Street, Country Matters, Watchet Town Council and Knights Templar First School.

Fundraising events will continue with a grand auction and dance at Watchet Town Football Club tomorrow (Saturday) and a Big Band concert on September 8 at Danesfield Middle School, Williton.

Anyone wanting to support the appeal can make a donation, by cheque or cash, via the town council in Swain Street.

Photo: Steve Guscott