POPPY stalwart Naomi Turner and her granddaughters are placing crosses for every fallen soldier in Afghanistan.

As Remembrance Sunday approaches, Weymouth Poppy Appeal organiser Mrs Turner has been paying tribute on the seafront.

She has been joined by granddaughters Rebecca, 10, Katie, 12, Ruby, six, and Yoko, seven, to place a personal cross for every British soldier killed in Afghanistan in the past 12 months. For 15 years Army cadet lieutenant Mrs Turner has been organising the thousands of poppies that are sold in the two-week Poppy Appeal in Weymouth.

Last year alone her collectors raised more than £21,000 for the Royal British Legion and this year she predicts the amount will be the same or more.

Mrs Turner said: “With all the recent casualties I think people have become more aware of the work that soldiers do and therefore there has been a lot of support.

“That’s why this year with the help of my granddaughters we placed more than a hundred crosses for British casualties in the past 12 months.”

Mrs Turner has a team of helpers, including 20 sea cadets, who cover the whole stretch of Weymouth selling poppies and crosses to supporters.

She said the reaction she got from people was her motivation to keep the Poppy Appeal going every year.

“Everyone is happy to give because the charity has such a good reputation of helping the soldiers. It is lucky enough to be one of those charities where the support really hasn’t diminished over the years.”

As well as placing a cross with the name of each casualty on Weymouth’s cenotaph, Mrs Turner has replaced every poppy on the memorial display.

On Remembrance Sunday veterans, soldiers and supporters will gather at the cenotaph to pay their respects to soldiers past and present.