IT was a black day in Bere Ferrers recently, when a row broke out after a group of war veterans decided to change the colour of the railings surrounding the village?s war memorial.

The memorial and its railings are actually the responsibility of the parish council.

After residents painted the railings black themselves, council chairman Eaon Wager visited the site and agreed the railings could stay black. But Cllr Wager said other members of the parish council insisted the railings should be returned to their original white.

Cllr Wager said having been to see the railings for himself, he thought the colour change was an improvement.

He said the men who had painted the railings black in the week before Remembrance Sunday were all distinguished ex-naval servicemen.

He said wherever he now went across the country, he looked to see what colour the railings around the war memorial were.

?You would have a job to find white ones anywhere,? said Mr Wager, who said the matter was closed as far as he was concerned.

Residents were told the railings should match the colour of those in Bere Alston, which were also white.

Those in favour of keeping the colour said white represented peace, but opponents pointed out it was a war memorial not a peace memorial and black blended in better with the black lettering on the memorial.

Cllr Christine Grills said a photograph showed that back in 1990, the railings had been white, but the railings were not pictured in earlier photographs of the memorial.

She said her own opinion was that the railings looked better black, but she was not sure why the change had provoked such controversy, as the new colour did not make the railings ?stick out like a sore thumb?.

The Royal British Legion and the War Memorial Trust were contacted by residents for their opinion on changing the colour of the railings to black and were supportive.

The British Legion said black was the preferred colour for railings around war memorials.

Mary Taylor, clerk of Bere Ferrers parish council, said members had decided the railings will remain black and no further debate on the matter was required.