THE future of a stone plaque which once adorned the old Swan Lane school building has been secured thanks to the work of two local men and the Evesham Journal.

Colin Tether originally started to campaign for the infants stone plaque from the building to be saved last year as the school was set to be demolished in November 2012 and had agreed this with Wychavon District Council.

But when the demolition contractors began their work knocking down the school, which was built in 1909, they were about to crush the plaque set on the wall on Conduit Hill.

Luckily Colin Merriman, a former teacher and a parent of children who attended the school, was passing by and also thought it a waste so took the stone for safe keeping.

When Mr Tether realised the stone was gone he made an appeal in the Journal which was answered by Mr Merriman and the two agreed the new Swan Lane School should be its final resting place.

Mr Tether said he was delighted the stone had been saved.

“Through the work of the head teacher Graham Walker and a builder whose children attend the school, the stone has now found a permanent home in the front wall of the new school,” he said.