FERNDOWN will stand still on today to remember its heroes.

Three years ago the town was rocked by the news that Royal Marine Lieutenant John Thornton, 22, had been killed fighting in Agfghanistan.

His sacrifice inspired a community project to create a special “garden of memories” in Millennium Park, Peter Grant Way, to him and other significant figures.

At 2pm, they will be immortalised as the mayor, Councillor Jean Read, unveils the finished memorial, featuring Afghan volcanic rock at its heart.

Organisers are arranging a flypast, as at John’s funeral. Sculptor Gerry Clarke, using the eternal flame under Paris’s Arc de Triomphe as an influence, has included a bronze rose, carved Purbeck stones, white Dorset pebbles and hand cut mosaics in the shape of a fernleaf in his design.

A willing band of volunteers, including John’s dad Peter Thornton and local craftsmen, have helped to make them a reality.

Currently 12 names join John’s next to the inscription of a Winston Churchill quote: “We make a living by what we earn, we make a life by what we give.”

Town councillor Lesley Dedman, mayor at the time of John’s death, said: “All these local heroes have inspired us, or worked for us or enhanced our lives in the town.

“I really do feel it's been a privilege to have worked with the community to create the memorial.

“I am so glad I was in the right place at the right time and have been able to bring it into being.”

Residents of all ages are invited to the unveiling or to purchase a stone to remember a loved one.