A RUNCORN First World hero is to be honoured.

Exactly 100 years after Private Thomas ‘Todger’ Jones was awarded the Victoria Cross, a new memorial will be unveiled.

A ceremony will be held on Sunday at 2pm beside his statue in the memorial garden on Greenway Road.

The Mayor of Halton Cllr Ged Philbin will join members of the public to pay tribute to this brave soldier.

Private Jones was awarded the medal for killing a sniper and capturing 102 soldiers single-handedly in the Battle of Morval in 1916.

He served in the 22nd Cheshire Regiment and won three medals for bravery during the Great War - the Distinguished Conduct Medal, Territorial Efficiency Medal and the Victoria Cross, the highest award for gallantry in the face of the enemy awarded to British and Commonwealth forces.

Private Jones was awarded the VC on October 26, 1916 after he had performed an act of bravery a month earlier on September 25.

He was with his company covering the advance in front of a village when he noticed an enemy sniper 200 yards away.

He left his trench on his own and crossed no man's land without covering fire.

Although one bullet went through his helmet and another through his coat, he returned the sniper's fire and killed him.

Near the enemy trench Private Jones noticed two more Germans who were displaying a white flag whilst simultaneously firing at him, he shot them both.

Upon reaching the enemy trench unharmed, he found several occupied dug-outs and single-handedly disarmed 102 Germans including four officers, and the entire trench was marched back to British lines through a heavy barrage by Jones and his comrades.

Born in December 1880, Private Jones lived in Runcorn all his life and died in January 1956.

He is buried in Runcorn Cemetery and his Victoria Cross is displayed at the Cheshire Military Museum in Chester.

A commemorative stone to Widnes Victoria Cross recipient Thomas Mottershead will be laid next year.