A TYNE Valley community is raising funds to put right a mistake on its war memorial which went unnoticed for eight decades.

The memorial near St James’ Church, Riding Mill, bears the names of men from the parish who lost their lives in both world wars.

The inscription for Frederick Best, who died as a prisoner of war in 1942 at the age of 29, wrongly indicates he served with the RAF, when he in fact, served with the British Army in North Africa as a sapper with the Royal Engineers.

The village has now launched an appeal to find the money to alter the inscription after the mistake was revealed by former churchwarden Sandy Gardner.

After calling on the help of village history enthusiast Susan Law, it came to light that the inscription on the memorial had been wrong since it was added at the end of World War Two.

Planning permission to alter the memorial and inscription - a listed structure - was granted earlier this year.

Sapper Frederick Best is buried in Milan.

Anyone who would like to contribute to the appeal can do so here: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/war-memorial-correction

Any information can be sent to parish council clerk Catherine Harrison at ridingmillclerk@gmail.com