The Repair Shop's Will Kirk reunites veterans with war memorial after it was smashed with an axe by callous thieves
The thieves 'really went to town' to damage itThe Repair Shop’s Will Kirk has pulled another remarkable deed out of the bag by reuniting veterans with a smashed up war memorial.
It is believed the memorial, which had stood in place since 1920, was attacked with an axe or angle grinder by callous vandals.
The entire community of Luton in Chatham, Kent, was left devastated and furious when it disappeared overnight.
Made up of two bronze plaques, it honours the names of 163 local men who lost their lives in the First World War.
The police later seized the memorial but one of the plaques was very badly broken and warped.
Experts said the vile thieves “really went to town” on trying to destroy it.
Thankfully, The Repair Shop’s Will has helped bring it back to life. And here’s how.
The Repair Shop’s Will Kirk helps mend smashed war memorial
Will met with vicar, Reverend Andrea Lennard, in the latest episode of The Repair Shop on the Road.
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The war memorial had been placed upon gates at the church on Remembrance Sunday in 1920. But on May 23, 2025, the two plaques were stolen.
Rev Lennard told Will: “We thought we’d never see them again and they’d be melted down quickly. But a very kind scrap dealer who received one of the plaques immediately contacted the police.”
There was a national outcry to the theft, with it making the national newspapers. The publicity, helped by a social media campaign, led to the return of the second plaque within a week of the robbery.
But one of the recovered plaques was warped and broken. The damage is believed to have been caused by an axe or angle grinder.
“Everyone must have been absolutely devastated when these disappeared,” Will said.
Rev Lennard replied: “There were tears and incredulity. And a real sense of loss, not just in the church but in the community.
“Every name on this plaque represents a precious life of someone who bravely gave their life. When they were stolen, I did a bit of research. I just looked up one name and had to stop because I was crying.”
Will calls in the experts
Will called in two specialists, John and Paul, in bronze casting to help bring the war memorial back to its original state.
Taking a look, John told him: “There’s a lot of damage. Somebody’s really gone to town to try and destroy these.” Paul added: “It’s so sad. So tragic actually.”
The pair blasted off the bronze memorial to remove 100 years worth of corrosion. Paul then expertly recoloured it with chemicals to bring the plaques back to their original appearance.
John, meanwhile, used a wire brush on a drill to emphasise the soldiers’ names. Once they were finished, Will was shocked at the transformation.
“Oh my word, they look amazing,” he said. “Absolutely amazing.”
Will, John and Paul then handed the memorial plaques back to the community during a special remembrance service. The service was attended by war veterans, relatives of the soldiers who lost their lives and the police officers who helped recover the plaques.
A curtain was removed as the room broke into applause. Will then invited emotional relatives of the soldiers up to find their names on the plaques.
‘They’re back home, they’re back home,” Will reassured them all. The Last Post was then played by a veteran.
Five men have since appeared in court in connection with the war memorial theft. They deny all charges against them. A sixth is due to appear.
