THE developer who will transform the abandoned St Athan Boys' Village has given reassurances that the site's war memorial will be saved and renovated.

Having been abandoned for more than 20 years, the former holiday camp has been targeted by vandals, with even the memorial to those who lost their lives in the first world war being grafittied.

Project manager Shaun Cuddihy, who is developing five five-bedroom houses on the site, plans to have the memorial feature as a centrepiece in a courtyard between the properties.

He said: "I first visited the site a number of years ago and was disappointed with the level of graffiti that the site had endured, particularly to the war memorial and the chapel building.

"Unfortunately a lot of people see this graffiti as urban art and the site has become something of a target for local school children, photographers and of course the artists themselves.

"I have made an attempt to cover up the obscene ones, however you would be surprised by the number of unwanted visitors that turn up without consent each week.

"I have found people filming everything from post-apocalyptic films to music videos all without consent."

Shaun added that the war memorial itself is not only going to be restored but also given a facelift.

"I have researched as many of the old photographs that I can find and the monument itself looks intact," he said. "Originally it had a globe light in the arch recess which has been removed.

"After some discussion with local historians I have agreed to fix a Davey lamp in that recess which best reflects the coalfield origins of the site.

"The monument itself will be refurbished in a cobbled courtyard and I intend to up light it at night from the ground."