Poppies used to honour Aberystwyth’s fallen war heroes have been damaged ahead of Remembrance Sunday.

Two plastic poppies on boards used to display poppy wreaths on the war memorial at Aberystwyth Castle have been broken.

Former army officer Patrick Norrington-Davies is disgusted by the “pathetic vandalism” but hopes the vandals will own up and pay for the damage.

Speaking to the ‘Cambrian News’, the Aberystwyth resident said: “The poppies are on the poppy boards l use to secure the poppy wreaths to after they are laid on Remembrance Sunday to ensure they don’t blow away in the wind.

“They have permanent plastic poppies attached which have been deliberately broken.

“After last year’s poppy wreaths were attached, I also lit them up with screw on solar lights. They lasted two weeks before someone wrenched them off and took them.

“I just don’t understand what they gain from just pathetic vandalism.”

The two plastic poppies on either end of the bottom board of the cenotaph picture are the ones that have been damaged.

The board also has graffiti on it, as Mr Norrington-Davies explained in a post on Facebook appealing to the perpetrators to come forward.

The post said: “If the individuals responsible for the damage to the poppies on the castle point poppy wreath boards and the graffiti artist would like to report to the poppy caravan in Owain Glyndwr Square on Friday or Saturday and pay for the damage caused that would be appreciated.”

He added: “One hundred and eleven people from Aberystwyth paid the ultimate sacrifice for your freedom. Many thousands more since have been maimed, injured both physically and mentally in many conflicts since 1945. Have some respect.”