Three generations attended a wreath laying service on Saturday to remember servicemen buried at Horton Cemetery during World War One and Two.

David Day, 61, from Ewell was joined by his son Simon and three-year-old grandson Charlie at the Horton Memorial in Horton Lane with Councillor Sheila Carlson, Mayor of Epsom and Ewell.

Thousands of ex-servicemen and patients were brought to Horton War Hospital during World War One and Two, many suffering with post traumatic stress.

Mr Day campaigned for the memorial to be erected in 2004 with former mayor Labour Councillor Alan Carlson, the current mayor's husband, following the continued neglect of Horton Cemetery which is privately owned by Marque Securities, a development company in Kingswood.

Mr Day attends the ceremony each year and releases his own doves as a symbol of respect to the hundreds of ex-serviceman and patients buried within the old Horton War Hospital site.

This year the honour of releasing the doves went to three-year-old Charlie who was attending the wreath laying service for the first time.

Mr Day said: “Alan was mayor at the time and he recognised that there were servicemen buried there.

“The patients were buried in nothing more that cloths and several were buried in each grave.

“The servicemen seem to have a proper service and were buried in marked graves.

“We just need to keep it in the public eye that there are servicemen buried there and patients.”

Michael Heighes, director of Marque Securities, bought the land in the 1980s for commercial development but so far applications to redevelop it have been turned down by Epsom and Ewell Council.

Mr Heighes offered the council a space of the cemetery ground where the memorial could have been placed but in return wanted permission to develop the rest of the site which was refused.

Instead, the memorial was positioned outside the cemetery against the iron railing thanks to donations from the public.