A town is facing up to the fact that the identities of some of its servicemen whose names had been honoured on a war memorial for more than 80 years could have been lost forever.

Two memorials in Otley, one in the Memorial Gardens in Bondgate, the other at Grove Hill, were stripped of bronze decorative roll of honour plaques by thieves in July.

Replacements paid for by Leeds City Council have been put in place in time for this Sunday's Remembrance services.

But while the Bondgate memorial has been fully restored Otley Town Council has been unable - despite repeated public appeals - to trace all the names on the roll of honour for the Grove Hill monument.

Town Clerk Iain Plumtree has told councillors they might now have to accept that the names, which included all those workers at Otley Mills who fought in the First World War, might never again be listed in full.

He said: "With the Grove Hill memorial no-one in the town seems to have the names of those from the mills who fought.

"Because it was those who fought, not only those who died, we might not be able to replace them.

"At the end of the day it may be very sad if we can't track those names.

"We have got a copy 1922 programme of when the Grove Hill memorial was dedicated but regrettably even that doesn't have a list of names."

Otley Mayor, Councillor Neville Birch, said the Council was not giving up its bid to fully restore the plaques.

He said: "Let's see if we can come up with something because it's awfully sad that we have lost all the names of these people, they don't deserve to be lost like that."

Town Councillor Millie Stott has suggested contacting Wharfebank Business Centre (WBC), the home of Otley Mills, to see if it had any archives that might include the names.

Town Council leader Councillor Jim Spencer said he hoped the maker of the plaque could be traced.

He said: "They may still have the names in their records somewhere because they had to cast it."

Councillor Ray Smith renewed the appeal for public help. He said: "It might be that a member of the public has a photograph with the plaques on in their original condition, and could be of some help if they could forward it to the town clerk."

Anyone with information that could help should contact Mr Plumtree on (01943) 466335.