A statue of an unsung British hero who saved hundreds of Jewish children destined to die in Nazi concentration camps has been unveiled.

Trevor Chadwick, nicknamed the 'Purbeck Schindler', helped Sir Nicholas Winton rescue 669 Jewish children from Czechoslovakia before the Second World War.

At great personal risk, the Dorset schoolteacher helped forge exit passes to fool the Nazis and help get children to the safety of Britain.

He travelled back and forth between England and Prague in 1939 to supervise the movement of hundreds of children by train and aircraft.

Trevor died in 1979 and his brave actions were not revealed until the 1990s.

Artist Moira Purver was tasked with making a life-size statue to honour Trevor's efforts in his home town of Swanage.Bournemouth Echo: Artist Moira PurverArtist Moira Purver

Her creation, which depicts Trever dressed informally and carrying a toddler and holding another child's hand, has been aptly erected next to a children's play area.

An unveiling ceremony was attended by Trevor's grandchildren as well as Nick Winton, the son of the late Sir Nicholas Winton.

Trevor's son, Charles Chadwick, 90, said: "I am delighted that he has been publicly recognised after so long.

"This recognition is a matter of some pride for our family.

Bournemouth Echo: Statue of Trevor Chadwick in Swanage. Image BNPSStatue of Trevor Chadwick in Swanage. Image BNPS

"For many years I didn't know what my father did. He never spoke about it. I think that after the war there was a reluctance to be reminded of what happened."

Nick Winton praised Trevor Chadwick's bravery.

He said: "My father became the symbol of Britain's kindertransport programme.

"But his view was that didn't do anything heroic and that there was a team of people like Trevor Chadwick who put themselves at far greater risk by staying in Czechoslovakia to deal with the Gestapo.

"At the time my father had returned to London to organise fundraising and logistics.

"He would have been delighted to know that at long last there was something to commemorate the bravery and sacrifice of Trevor Chadwick.

Bournemouth Echo:

"It is a fitting tribute and I think it is essential that people have a record of the extraordinary contribution made by ordinary people like Trevor Chadwick to help others in need."

Trevor, a Latin school master, first got involved in the kindertransport in 1938 when he went to Prague to save two Jewish refugees so they could be educated in Swanage. He was so moved by what he saw he returned to save others.

Together with six others, he organised a total of eight trains from Prague. Their hard work has been likened to that of Oskar Schindler, whose story was told in the 1993 film Schindler's List.

The Trevor Chadwick Memorial Trust was set up to raise £80,000 needed for the memorial.

Bournemouth Echo: Artist Moira Purver. Image BNPSArtist Moira Purver. Image BNPS

Artist Moira said: "When I was asked to do it I read several books about Trevor Chadwick and thought 'this has to happen because he was such an amazing man'.

"He was incredibly brave and warm and this helped put the children at ease.

"I wanted to capture the powerful connection between him and the children.

"It is a huge relief to see the statue in one piece after such a long process.

"It stands atop a plinth of Purbeck stone besides a refurbished play area, which has been renamed after him.

"It felt right to have him close to the children - it just fits together perfectly".

Trevor spent most of his later life living in Oslo, Norway, with his German wife Sigrid and died in 1979, aged 72.