A FORMER soldier has helped raise more than a £1,000 for the Royal British Legion by creating silhouette memorials.

Shaun Morgan, who served as a Lance Corporal with the Royal Electrical Mechanical Engineers, has made the soldiers and sailors in aid of the centenary poppy appeal.

Mr Morgan, from Heybridge Basin, said: “As I already work with ex-military charities, a few people asked if I could source centenary soldier statues for them, but I decided to actually make a couple as the British Legion helped me when I was medically discharged from the army with spine injuries so I felt it was my way of helping the Legion in return.”

Mr Morgan started by making an 8ft Soldier and a Sailor for his Heybridge.

“As I was drawing each one individually, I decided to give mine a bit more character by enlarging the facial characteristics which people have agreed they are more individual,” he said.

Photos spread on social media and soon Mr Morgan was inundated and was producing more in between his full time job of working with the emergency services.

He said: "All I asked for in return for my work was a donation to the Royal British Legion or the other charity I work with, the Pilgrim Bandits.”

More than a thousand pounds has already been donated in appreciation of his work, with the statues seen in locations including Danbury, Burnham, Peldon and Heybridge.

Mr Morgan added: "Maldon District Council have done an excellent job with the river bailiff producing 50 and Polden Engineering making three permanent metal statues, hopefully my additional silhouettes will complement the interest the other statues are generating.”