A SOLDIER is standing guard outside the East Hampshire District Council (EHDC) office in Petersfield as a reminder of the men and women who gave their lives in the defence of their country.

The silhouetted statue, called Tommy, is part of the nationwide There But Not There campaign to mark 100 years since the end of the First World War. The Tommy statues have been placed in thousands of communities around the country to depict the shadows of soldiers who never came home.

Councillors and officers at EHDC laid a commemorative wreath at the foot of the statue for Remembrance Sunday.

EHDC chairman Anthony Williams said: “The Tommy statue serves as a poignant reminder of the sacrifice made by so many people who fought for the freedoms we take for granted. The memorial has been prominently placed outside the main entrance to the offices and will be seen by councillors, staff and visitors as they go about their day-to-day business.

“The There But Not There campaign not only honours the 888,246 British and Commonwealth service personnel who died in the war but also supports today’s veterans who may be suffering from mental or physical wounds.”

The symbolic statue was launched by the charity Remembered, which supports veterans suffering from the hidden wounds of war.