TWELVE Isle of Wight war memorials have been Grade II Listed ahead of Remembrance Sunday.

Built in the aftermath of the First World War, the newly-listed memorials were among tens of thousands erected across England.

In place of graves, these memorials became focal points for local communities to mourn and honour their dead.

Ahead of Remembrance Sunday, the war memorials have been listed at Grade II by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport on the advice of Historic England.

Heritage minister Helen Whately said: "War memorials have a special place in communities and remind us of those who have made the ultimate sacrifice for our country.

"It is right these monuments to the brave people who sadly never returned from the First World War will now be preserved and protected."

Emily Gee, regional director for Historic England in London and the South East, said: “This Sunday, many of us will observe the two minutes’ silence, which shows how important we believe it is for us to commemorate those who have died in conflict.

"It is this same respect for the fallen that has inspired us to list these memorials on the Isle of Wight and help protect them for years to come.”

The memorials are Newport, Newchurch, Carisbrooke, Sandown, Bonchurch, East Cowes, Ventnor, Chale, Whippingham, Brading, Wroxall and Thorley.

In 2014, Historic England committed to listing 2,500 war memorials by the end of 2018 to commemorate the centenary of the end of the First World War. It achieved this target, listing 2,645, but decided to continue the work as many more cherished memorials worthy of listing status were identified.

The public can share their knowledge and pictures of the memorials, to help record important facts, and the stories of the people named on them, on https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/enrich-the-list/.