A memorial to a war ship which sank in 1942 killing 96 crew is to be set up at Sandbach – after an historic plaque was unearthed by Sandbach Town Council's caretaker.

Steve Hyland was clearing out a storage cupboard at Sandbach Town Hall when he came across a dusty plaque dating back to the 1940s at the back of one of the cupboards.

The plaque for a warship was covered in dust and scuffed but Steve did some research and found out the remarkable link between Sandbach and HMS Vimiera.

Now the restored plaque together with other memorabilia is set to be displayed in a special memorial for all to see in the entrance porch to the town hall.

"I found it in a storage cupboard at the town hall. It was thick with dust and had some scuffs," said Steve.

"We've had it restored and I've done a lot of research and made contact with groups to find the history.

"These men gave their lives and we feel it's only right that they and the people of the town who raised money should be honoured.

"We will have a memorial displaying the names of all the seamen and hopefully a replica of the ship's bell."

The memorial will be at Sandbach Town Hall

During WWII, a fund-raising programme was organised across the UK to raise money for the war-effort.

Part of this programme was 'Warship Week' in which cities, towns and villages throughout the country were given a target, and if successfully achieved, the town would be allocated a naval vessel and its crew for adoption.

Sandbach was given a target of £120,000 and during the period 30th November to 6th December 1941, the town raised a total of £163,880 and was subsequently allocated HMS Vimiera their adopted ship.

The ship was a 'V' class destroyer and spent most of its wartime service on convoy protection duties in the North Sea and English Channel.

To commemorate the adoption of the ship, the Admiralty presented the town with a plaque displaying a copy of the ship's badge and an inscribed plate at a ceremony in the town in September 1942.

Sadly, on 9th January 1942, just five weeks after its adoption by Sandbach HMS Vimiera struck a mine in the Thames estuary and sank with the tragic loss of 96 of its crew of 126.

The plaque has now been repaired and restored to its original 1942 condition and a special ceremony is to be held in the New Year on January 9th to unveil the new memorial.

And the town council is inviting anyone with family memories of how the money was raised for the original project to come forward and tell them what they know.

"It would be lovely to talk to any family members who know about the efforts to raise the £163,880. We're trying to piece the story together and would like to thank them."

Sandbach Town Council Mayor, Councillor Kathryn Flavell said: "I am looking forward to giving this plaque, which reflects the great efforts of Sandbach Town during the war, its true prominence and am grateful to Steve for his enthusiasm and hard work which has led to this discovery."