A NEW garden of remembrance for the Burma Star Association was dedicated on Sunday - two weeks before Remembrance Sunday.

The West Somerset branch of the association hopes the garden - in Minehead's Blenheim Gardens - will provide an area of peace and tranquillity for local people.

And the memorial to the Burma Campaign of 1942-45 will be more accessible to branch members than the town's war memorial on North Hill.

The garden features an inscribed memorial made from stone specially imported from India and two bench seats, and is laid out with plants in the association's green and gold colours.

Sunday's service was conducted by the branch chaplain the Rev David Skidmore, and a wreath was laid by the patron of the association's South West Area Mrs Una Rowcliffe, daughter of Field Marshal Slim, who commanded the 14th Army in Burma.

The site for the garden was donated by West Somerset District Council, and much of the cost was met by donations from local businesses and organisations including the Royal British Legion, together with the proceeds of a raffle which raised £647.

Pictured at the service are, from the left, Mrs Rowcliffe, South West Area president John Barnes, Mrs Rowcliffe's husband Ron, Mr Skidmore, branch member Bill Salter, who gave one of the readings, and branch chairman Ron Johnson.