A large bronze war memorial tablet in Newton Heath, Manchester, dedicated to the 200 Mathers Foundry steel workers who died during WW1 and WW2, has been refurbished and reinstated by building’s new owner, Westley Group.

The memorial was originally erected in 1920 to honour the 175 employees who died during WW1 and was re-dedicated in 1948 to include those who fought and died during WW2.

Rob Salisbury, commercial director at the Westley Group, said: “My grandfather started his apprenticeship at Mathers Foundry in 1932 when he was just 14 before enlisting for service in WWII. He worked and fought beside some of the names on this tablet, and it was these men that not only made Mathers what it is today but Britain also.

“Having recently purchased the foundry, we really want to embrace Mathers’ glorious heritage. Reinstating the memorial reaffirms the foundry’s solid foundations and acts as encouragement for us to take inspiration from our lost colleagues.”