The apology by the Japanese for wartime atrocities does not go far enough, say local veterans.

They want action, not words, from the former enemy for brutal treatment in prison camps between 1942 and 1945.

Thousands of British servicemen died at the hands of their captors, through beatings, malnutrition and maltreatment.

This week, Japanese Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto issued a 'heartfelt apology' for the actions of his countrymen during World War II, and the 'bitter memories' many British PoWs are left with.

Eastburn's Douglas Firth spent three and a half years as a prisoner, working on the notorious 'Death Railway' through Thailand. After the war he spent years in British hospitals being treated for the effects of malaria, caught in the jungle.

"As a Christian I accept the apology, but like many ex-PoWs I feel there should also be reparations," he says. "Such a gesture would make all the difference, it would show the Japanese are being sincere.

"Many of my friends can forgive but not forget.

"A financial gesture would certainly help them in the future, particularly as a lot of us are getting on now."

Lawyers representing veterans are demanding £13,000 compensation for each soldier traumatised by his ordeal in the prison camps, and say the apology is 'an insult'.

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