A TRIO of brave local soldiers who lost their lives in modern-day conflicts are being honoured alongside those who died in the Great War.

Three new names have been added to the new Toll Boys memorial, a Celtic Cross in the gardens of Caledonia Street in Port Glasgow.

The original bronze plaque bearing the names of 29 Toll Boys was removed from the wall of the building at 5 Glasgow Road - where the old Toll House stood - because of future regeneration plans.

Touching new inscriptions include tributes to Greenock hero Stephen Monkhouse of the 1st Battalion Scots Guards, who died in Afghanistan in 2010 aged just 28 while trying to save a wounded comrade.

Fellow servicemen Joseph Pool, 26, a Lance Corporal with the 1st Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland, also lost his life in Afghanistan in the same year.

The third man, John Bradley, from Port Glasgow, served in the Ulster Defence Regiment and died in Northern Ireland in 1990.

Stephen's dad Billy and John's father were told of the honour after both being invited to a special unveiling service on Remembrance Sunday.

A Lion Rampart flag was draped around the back of the monument and the men took it down to unveil the new names.

Billy, 60, who lives with his wife Jackie, 51, in Dunlop Street, said: "It was an emotional day, it was both a happy and a sad one.

"It was a great day because these boys are being remembered and their names are not on any other memorials in Inverclyde. Mr Bradley's son was buried in Northern Ireland, but now he can come here to pay his respects."

Billy was asked to say a few words at the Bouverie Rangers Club reception afterwards.

He said: "I said to everyone that it is a shame we need these memorials at all.

"But at least people out there are thinking about the consequences of war and of all those men who set off to fight never came back."

Billy says he cannot believe that eight years have passed since Stephen died.

He added: "The families of those people whose names are on he memorial carry that loss with them every day. The pain never goes away."

Stephen, a drummer with the Pipes and Drums, was awarded the Military Cross the year after he died and Billy and Stephen's mum Linda and other family members attended Buckingham Palace to receive the posthumous honour.

Stephen is survived by his son Brandon, his brother Allan, sisters Stacey and Ashleigh and stepbrother and sister Nathan and Kerri.

Ronnie Wilson, chair and secretary of The Kindred Clubs of Port Glasgow, had been campaigning and fundraising for 10 years to have the memorial re-located with help from Depute Provost David Wilson and Inverclyde Council.

Mr Wilson said: "It's not just a new monument to the Toll Boys, it is a monument for all local soldiers killed in conflict in recent years.

"These 29 names are on no other memorial and the three servicemen who names have been added now have a monument too."

The additional inscription was sponsored by Inverclyde Funeral Directors in Port Glasgow.