BLACKBURN Market trader Alan Taylor has made an Armed Forces Day appeal for people to voluntarily start tending abandoned war graves.

The 47-year-old from Guide started finding and tidying up the burials ten months ago and is now seeking kind-hearted people to join him.

More details of his work an be found on his 'Spuds n Puds Sarsaparilla stall' Facebook site.

Alan, who made the appeal to mark Saturday's Armed Forces Day, said: "There are hundreds of unkempt and overgrown war graves left forgotten in and around Blackburn, Darwen and across East Lancashire.

"They need looking after.

"I started doing it in August last year and have done a few dozen.

"These are the graves of war heroes whose bravery needs remembering.

"There not difficult to find and it doesn't take long to put them right.

"I's a fitting way to remember the bravery of those who fought and died to protect our freedom in two World Wars and other conflicts.

"We just need more people to volunteer to do it.

"There are hundreds in Blackburn Cemetery and St James CVhruch graveyard in Lower Darwen alone.

"Please just start looking for them and tending them."

Customer Anthony Conroy, 35, from Mill Hill, said: "This is a brilliant idea. I'm going to start doing it."