A NEW Forest village will be getting a World War I ‘Silent Soldier’ statue after all following a petition signed by hundreds of outraged residents calling for them to be installed.

The petition was set up by Nicola Davidson after Brockenhurst Parish Council chose “the more traditional option” of poppies to commemorate the centenary of the end of the war.

On the petition page on change.org, it is claimed the council decided against the Silent Soldier statue as “the carrying of the rifle may be offending”.

However, chairman Peter Wales has told the Daily Echo that Brockenhurst Business Association had agreed to purchase one.

The Royal British Legion (RBL) brought the Silent Soldier campaign to Dorset and Hampshire in honour of British troops who fought and died in World War I 100 years ago.

The near life-size metal silhouettes of a First World War ‘Tommy’ have been fixed on buildings, gardens, fields, and roundabouts across the county in remembrance of those in the armed forces who came home ‘silently’ from the war, as well as those who never made it home.

Nearly 1,000 people have signed the petition to ‘allow the Silent Soldiers to be heard in Brockenhurst’, including Debbie King.

She said: “I have seen these soldiers in other villages and think they are beautiful. If it hasn’t caused offence in other villages then why would it in ours?”

Rosemary Waters said: “There were many from this area who fought and made the ultimate sacrifice. It is a slight to their memory to not have a ‘Silent Soldier’ in Brockenhurst.”

However, Cllr Wales is reassuring residents that a Silent Soldier statue will be placed somewhere in the village.

“Brockenhurst Parish Council has always and will continue to respect all those who fought in both World Wars and other theatres of operation,” he said.

“A ‘Silent Soldier’ was considered along with other ideas. The parish council preferred the more traditional option to decorate the major village roads with poppies on lampposts as this would be seen by all passersby, with Brockenhurst Business Association agreeing to purchase the ‘Silent Soldier’. Discussions are ongoing as to where this might be placed given the freedom of animals to roam the village.”

He added that a commemorative concert in support of the Royal British Legion would also be held as a “fitting tribute”.