A FORMER serviceman has blasted council chiefs for neglecting a war memorial saying it showed a lack of respect for fallen soldiers who made the ultimate sacrifice to preserve our way of life.

Ex South Wales Borderers Sgt, Ian Williams, lashed out against Torfaen council as the country prepared to honour military personnel through the annual poppy appeal.

Mr Williams contacted our newspaper after seeing overgrown vegetation at the memorial in Hanbury Road, Pontypool.

The poppy appeal coordinator served with the Borderers then the Royal Regiment of Wales and was posted in Borneo, Yemen and Northern Ireland.

Mr Williams, 69, of St Cadocs, said: “It’s been terrible.

“They’re not giving people who gave their lives respect at all.

“They can’t even respect their sacrifice. They stand there every year laying their wreaths but they don’t even honour the military covenant.”

Mr Williams said he served in the army between 1962 and 1973 and completed two tours of Northern Ireland.

After leaving the army, he said he joined the TA where he was commander of the reconnaissance platoon.

The grandfather said that he now helped to run a local annual poppy appeal which raises between £8,000 and £11,000.

He added: “Is it too much to ask that this council keep our war memorial in a decent condition?

“Is it too much to ask that they respect those who died and those families that gave up their loved ones?”

Councillor Bob Wellington, leader of Torfaen Council, said: "The council spent around £30,000 in 2011 to improve all the borough’s war memorials.

"We are very proud of our military heritage in Torfaen and the memorials across the borough should be kept to a standard that reflects the huge debt of gratitude we owe to those that have served our country.

"The Pontypool Park War Memorial Gates are cleansed regularly, while any overgrowth and weeds are removed on an annual basis in preparation for the Remembrance Day activities.

"The volunteers from the Friends of Pontypool Park also include it in their work schedule when they have the capacity to do so.”