'OUR local heroes. They gave their today for our tomorrow.'

These words, engraved on a new memorial stone at Cleethorpes Memorial Hall, will serve as a lasting tribute to local fallen soldiers

Flight Lieutenant Andrew Smith, Sergant Matthew Telford, Guardsman Jimmy Major, Trooper Robert Pearson and Marine Mathew Ford.

Their families joined together yesterday in honour of their sacrifice and to witness the dedication of the memorial stone.

Kerry Telford the widow of Sergeant Matthew Telford lays a wreath at the memorial

A service was held to commemorate the fallen, conducted by the Reverend Paul Hunter who then blessed the stone before the soldiers' families laid remembrance wreaths.

A Bugler sounded the Last Post and a one minute silence was held.

The family of guardsman Jimmy Major lay flowers at the memorial

Mayor of North East Lincolnshire, Councillor Norma Lincoln, told the families: "I am proud to be here to day for the blessing of this wonderful stone. It is very sad for me but I am sure everyone here with sad feelings will understand. As the stone says, our local heroes gave their today for our tomorrow. God Bless them."

Service in the Memorial Garden of the Memorial Hall in Cleethorpes, for the dedication of a new memorial honouring sevicemen from the area, who have lost their lives in recent conflicts.

Sgt Telford, a 37-year-old father-of-two from Scartho Top and Guardsman Major, 18, from Cleethorpes, were shot dead by a rogue Afghan policeman whilst serving in Afghanistan last November.

Flt Lt Smith, 25, of Cleethorpes, was co-piloting a Hercules helicopter that was shot down in Iraq in January 2005, and Lance Corporal Ford, 30, of Immingham was shot during a raid on a Taliban Fort in Southern Afghanistan in 2007, and Trooper Pearson, 22, from Cleethorpes, was killed in a landmine explosion in Afghanistan in April 2008.

Read family tributes in today's Grimsby Telegraph.