North West Hampshire's MP has said he's hesitant about moving Andover's cenotaph.

Sir George Young's comments come after a petition was started to get the memorial moved from St Mary's Churchyard back onto the High Street.

Their argument is that at the moment the monument is ‘out of sight and out of mind'.

But Sir George says a lot of talking needs to be done before any decision is made: "We ought to talk to the families of those who are remembered and also the Royal British Legion and other organisations that represent those who fell to get their views.

"Let's have an open debate. I've got an open mind at the moment but for all the time that I've been the MP I associate it with where it is at the moment. I think I'd need some convincing that it made sense to move it."

Sir George has been speaking after an Andover man said he'll keep fighting to see the Cenotaph moved back until he gets the outcome he wants. Paul Hardy, from Pilgrims Way, is working alongside other volunteers to draw up the petition calling for Test Valley Borough Council to relocate the war memorial.

It has been in St Mary's churchyard since the 1950s and is an integral part of the Remembrance Sunday services in Andover each year.

But Paul says he'd like the Cenotaph to be a reminder of the sacrifices made by soldiers all year round: "Every year there is Remembrance Sunday, and many ex-military folk to have their day, so to have it in the High Street, it's somewhere where all the public can go and appreciate what it represents.

"People can actually see it on a regular basis, rather than have it tucked out of sight, out of mind. To have it on the High Street, I think it's more of a memorial to the dead heroes."

Paul says he'll be at the Time Ring on Andover High Street today, Saturday and every week for the foreseeable future, in an effort to attract more signatures for his petition.

The subject of moving the Cenotaph from St Mary's has been touched upon on a number of occasions.

Speaking back in March, the leader of Test Valley, Councillor Ian Carr told Andover Sound it's not something he expects to happen: "The Garden of Remembrance has got the plaques around the wall and it was moved because it was being vandalised and desecrated and I think it should stay exactly where it is.

"I think people who are calling for it to be put back have selective memories of how it was in the first place."

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