Around 200 people attended this year's act of remembrance on Sunday at Cheam War Memorial and then packed into nearby St Dunstan's Church afterwards, for the service.

Wreaths were laid at the memorial in front of Cheam Library by Sutton Mayor Councillor John Leach, representatives from the Royal British Legion, MP for Sutton and Cheam Paul Burstow and MP for Carshalton and Wallington Tom Brake. A number of voluntary organisations also laid wreaths.

Reverend Clive French, rector of Cheam and chaplain of the Cheam and Sutton Royal British Legion branch, led the service.

Chairman of the branch Gordon Sturman said he was pleased with the number of people who had attended the day's events.

However, he said traffic and a lack of numbers helping posed a problem.

He added: "We were few in numbers helping and even when we had the two minutes' silence, there still wasn't complete silence because of the traffic whizzing by.

"We would have preferred to go back 40 years ago when there would have been a band of helpers and people were more dedicated to the occasion."

November 16, 2001 10:31