THEY made the ultimate sacrifice - but their names are conspicuously absent from the war memorial built in their honour.

Now campaigners are making a new attempt to raise the money needed to improve the monument where Totton residents gather to commemorate the town's war dead.

Totton has one of the few memorials in the country that fails to include the names of the fallen.

The tribute was funded by the Totton and Eling branch of the Royal British Legion (RBL), which lacked the money to add the inscriptions.

An appeal launched by Totton councillor Neal Scott two years ago has raised only £270, a fraction of the amount needed to add two extensions bearing the names of 167 servicemen killed in battle.

Stepping up efforts Now councillors and ex-servicemen are stepping up their efforts to ensure that the appeal hits its target.

RBL branch chairman Ian Middleton said: "At the Remembrance Sunday service the names have to be read out because they're not on the memorial.

"A fund was started in 2005 but the inscriptions have yet to be added. People who have donated keep asking me what's going on."

Totton councillor Di Brooks is among the people spearheading attempts to breathe new life into the appeal.

She said: "People gave their lives so we could live in a democracy. It's only right that we should make another attempt to get the names put on.

"I'm willing to go out with my begging bowl if that's what it takes."

Calls to improve the memorial attracted cross-party support when the issue was raised at a meeting of the council, which maintains the structure.

Liberal Democrat Len Harris, chairman of the amenities committee, agreed that the campaign needed a higher profile.

"It's gone on too long - we should show some forcefulness," he said.