ARDROSSAN war hero William Savage will be honoured with a memorial stone in the town - five years after he was killed in action.

The news comes two months after William’s mum Isobel spoke about her sadness that a street at the new Stanley Road housing estate would not be named after her son, who was killed in Afghanistan back in 2013.

But now North Ayrshire Council have agreed to place a memorial stone at the site in a move Isobel described as ‘fantastic’.

This comes after Sav’s name was finally added to the War Memorial in the Garden of Remembrance in Ardrossan.

His mum Isobel was emotional but delighted that she had the news confirmed.

She said: “It’s fantastic news. I think it’s even better than a street name. It’ll be woven into the town’s history, that’s the way I see it. I’m just so emotional.”

The process has been on the go for a few weeks now and Isobel is delighted with how it has all fallen in to place for her and her family.

She explained: “I went up to see the Provost yesterday and the Depute Provost and Lesley Forsyth. She’s been very helpful. She came up to see me a couple of weeks ago and asked about what I would like. I said I would prefer something to be at that site and that’s how it happened. I’m so grateful to the council and to you, the Herald. He’s going to be acknowledged.

“There’s going to be a memorial service. I said I would like some sort of plaque, but what they’ve come up with is a big bit of granite. I’m so grateful to them. I’m really glad that he’s being acknowledged and that he’s being honoured.

“It’s been a long time trying to get something done. I think the council has been really good coming to me to ask me, in going forward. I was thinking a plaque on the wall or a tree but it’s going to be a bit bigger than that.”

A North Ayrshire Council spokesperson said: “It was lovely to meet Isobel and talk through some ideas for a significant memorial for her son William.

“We looked at various options but it was agreed that a stone with an inscription was the most suitable.

"We decided that the location of the corner of Stanley Road and Dalry Road – next to William’s former school Stanley Primary – would also be a fitting place to have the memorial.

“There are ongoing works taking place adjacent to the site so the plan is to erect the stone when these are complete and the ground is reinstated and back in good condition.

“We are all delighted and looking forward to remembering William and will continue to work with Isobel to finalise plans.”