A dilpidated war memorial has been given a new lease of life in time for Remembrance celebrations marking the 100th anniversary of the Great War.

The memorial at St John the Evangelist Church, in Bourne Hill, Palmers Green, was designed by Sir Frank Salisbury and erected in 1920.

The 12 foot sculpture had not been restored since, but following a grant of £2,500 from the War Memorials Trust towards the £7,500 restoration, the memorial is now looking as good as new.

Vicar the Reverend Stephen Leader hopes there will be an even bigger crowd than usual on Remembrance Sunday.

He said: “We wanted to have the memorial restored so that people will take notice and serve as a symbol that the outside of our build is as welcoming and magnificent as the inside of the church.

“I hope this can inspire more people to get involved in the work we do here and work more closely with the community.”