A former Sidmouth soldier has proudly pointed out how attendance at Remembrance Sunday services has increased over the last 50 years.

Dave O’Connor, now the town’s Royal British Legion chairman, served as the guard of honour at the war memorial in November 1963.

He was a corporal in the D company of the fourth battalion of Devonshire regiment’s first rifle volunteers in the Territorial Army.

Dave said the increasing numbers present at services could be due to the level of media coverage that conflicts such as the Iraq and Afghanistan wars nowadays receive.

“People see what’s happening more – they want to say thank you for safeguarding our security,” he said.