A MEMORIAL designed by creative youngsters to mark the centenary of the First World War has been unveiled in a Ramsbottom park.

Rammy Rocks fever has swept the borough over the last year after the craze was started by Ramsbottom parents, Sigrid van Den Brand and Helen Idle.

The idea was to get children to paint and varnish stones before hiding them for others to discover in an attempt to encourage youngsters to become more active and creative, as well as spending more time with their family.

And with the help of Royal Navy veteran Steve Butterworth, the craze has now been harnessed to create a lasting memorial in Nuttall Park to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the war.

Mr Butterworth became involved in Rammy Rocks after helping his granddaughter paint rocks and hide them.

Last November, while painting poppies with the names of Ramsbotttom’s First World War dead, Mr Butterworth had the idea for a memorial made up of rocks painted by children and elderly people from Ramsbottom.

With the help of Ms Van Den Brand, and Gemma Lievesley, he encouraged children from schools across Ramsbottom, as well contributors to the Rammyrocks Facebook page, to design rocks.

They were then set in cement to create the memorial, which was unveiled on Sunday.

The ceremony was attended by veterans and dignitaries, including Bury North MP James Frith and Bury Council leader Rishi Shori.

As well as the array of designs and messages, the memorial also featured a centrepiece rock, bearing a plaque containing information about it.

A time capsule with the names and photos of all contributors was also included, with instructions at the archive office, for it to be exhumed on or as near to the 200th anniversary as possible.