BELL ringers in southern Oxfordshire have commemorated the 100 year anniversary of the death of one of their own during the Second World War.

Wantage bell ringers rang on Saturday, September 29 at 10.30am to commemorate the death of Corporal Harold Jeffries, who was killed in action on the same date in 1918, aged 20.

Mr Jeffries was a bell ringer at Wantage Parish Church for three years, before enlisting to join the Royal Berkshire Regiment, 1st Battalion.

Tower Captain Graham Stoter said: "We have a weekly magazine for ringers called the Ringing World, which has been in existence since 1911. As this year is the hundredth year since the First World War ceased, staff have been searching through records to discover how many bell ringers were killed during the First World War.

"I was contacted by Ringing World staff and informed about Harold Jeffries. Local bands always ring to mark a special occasion of a ringer - like a wedding or death and it was very important to the Wantage ringers that we made a special effort to mark the anniversary of a former ringer's death during the First World War."

The group - comprised of Robert Haine, Celia Leeson-Cox, Karen Attwood, Duncan Francis, Mr Stoter, Dick Peters, Anthony Henderson and Teifi Walters - later posed for a photo in front of a church memorial plaque for those killed in the First and Second World Wars.

Mr Jeffries is commemorated in France's Vis-En-Artois Memorial.

The group are looking for new ringers - anyone interested in joining is asked to email Mr Stoter on g.stoter@btinternet.com.