OXFORD’S town crier has quit after admitting wrongly wearing military medals and lying about serving in the Coldstream Guards.

Anthony Church yesterday apologised for the “grave error of judgement” after his use of the medals – including the British Empire Medal, the South Atlantic Medal and General Service Medal with Northern Ireland clasp – was exposed by a group calling themselves the Walter Mitty Hunters Club.

The 62-year-old – who over the past 12 years has worked as a town crier in Banbury, Oxford, Thame, Chipping Norton and Wallingford – does not have a military background.

He also admitted once lying to Jim Lewendon, the county chairman of the Royal British Legion, telling him that he had served in the Coldstream Guards.

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Mr Church’s exploits were exposed on Facebook by the Walter Mitty Hunters Club, a group made up of mainly former servicemen which exposes people who illegitimately wear medals and lie about serving in the Armed Forces.

He has now resigned from the Loyal Company of Town Criers and the Ancient and Honorable Guild of Town Criers.

While the Royal British Legion said medals awarded to a deceased service/ex-service person may be worn on the right breast by a near relative, Mr Church wore the medals he acquired on the left.

He used the title BEM after his name on Banbury Town Council’s website and said the medal was awarded to his father Jack Church, who was in the RAF, for taking part in the Berlin Airlift.

Mr Church, who lives in Cowley, Oxford said his father died in 1953 - 17 months after he was born - and added he wore the BEM as a tribute to his father and the other medals as a tribute to servicemen.

He said yesterday: “I am truly sorry if anyone, including servicemen, ex-servicemen and their families have taken offence at what I did.

“I was in the wrong - I did wear those medals on the left. I did not mean to offend anyone in the military - it was meant to be a show of support.

“It was never my intention to cause any distress but it has backfired and cost me everything.”

Mr Church said telling Jim Lewendon he had served in the Coldstream Guards was a “moment of madness”.

A spokesman for the Loyal Company of Town Criers said on Facebook Mr Church had resigned from all town crier positions.

He added: “A month ago we investigated his wearing of medals, and he apologised profusely, saying it was a one-off and we accepted his apology.”

Mr Lewendon said: “I saw Mr Church wearing the medals at Remembrance time on his left breast and assumed they were his.

“And a few years back he told me he had been in the Coldstream Guards.

“Wearing the medals like this is an insult to the bravery of the troops who served.

“I can’t believe Anthony was a pretender and I hope he can put this behind him.”

Cherwell district councillor Colin Clarke, also a Banbury town councillor, said he got to know Mr Church quite well when he was town mayor in 2010/2011.

Mr Clarke added: “I always got on with him extremely well and he always did a good job as a town crier but he has been foolish.”

The medals he wore

  • THE British Empire Medal was created in 1922 and replaced the original medal which was launched in 1917 as part of the Order of the British Empire.
  • The medal is awarded for meritorious civil or military service and can be awarded posthumously.
  • The ribbon of the BEM is rose-pink, with pearl-grey edges, with the addition of a pearl-grey central stripe for military recipients. Those who receive the BEM are entitled to use the letters after their names.
  • The South Atlantic Medal was awarded to British military personnel serving in the Falklands War in 1982.
  • The medal is a coin and the ribbon has a central stripe of green, flanked on each side by stripes of white and blue.
  • The General Service Medal with Northern Ireland clasp has been awarded to personnel who served in Northern Ireland between 1969 and 2007.
  • The ribbon is purple, edged with green.

Statement

MR CHURCH also issued the following statement: “I was told several years ago that as the sole-surviving son I was entitled to wear the BEM and put BEM after my name.

“I also wanted, with the anniversary of the Falklands and World War One, to show my solidarity for those people who had served in these campaigns and found a place I could purchase replica medals and purchased a South Atlantic Medal.

“In September I contacted Buckingham Palace on an unrelated matter and received a letter back asking when I had been awarded the BEM. I wrote back explaining the situation and was told that I had been misinformed and was in fact not allowed to use the title or wear the medal as it would lead people to assume that I had been awarded the medal, so I immediately removed all medals.

“I realise now that I made a grave error of judgement with this.”