A MISSING war memorial has been found dumped next to wheeled bins in a Keighley alley.

The ornate wooden memorial came from the long-closed Temple Street Methodist Church and had been lost for many years.

It was this month rescued by amateur historians from the Men of Worth Project after a passer-by saw it in Chelsea Street.

Men of Worth founder Andy Wade now hopes to find a home for the 4ft x 3ft memorial, along with other memorials identified by the military history group.

The Temple Street memorial is regarded as one of the most important in Keighley, listing men from the church congregation who died during the First World War.

He said: “Rediscovering this memorial is tremendous news, particularly during the First World War centenary period.

“The memorial has been listed with the Imperial War Museum as ‘lost’ for many years. It may have been gone since the chapel closed in 1978.

“I have a strong feeling that a former parishioner took it home for safekeeping.”

The old Temple Street church is now a mosque, and for many years the Methodist congregation has worshipped at Keighley Shared Church.

Mr Wade said the memorial was found earlier this month (May) by local man Adrian Rodsett as he walked past Chelsea Street.

Mr Wade said: “It was leaned up against a wall on the pavement, by some bins.”

Mr Wade went to collect the war memorial, and after knocking on nearby doors discovered the object had probably come from a nearby house that had been cleared a few days earlier.

He said: “Having looked at the 23 names on the memorial one jumps straight out, that of Private Arthur Hastings.

“He was regarded as the first Keighley man to die in the First World War and I know he went to Temple Street Chapel, as it was mentioned in the Keighley News after his death.”

An inscription on the memorial mentions stained-glass windows that used to be in the Temple Street Chapel, also commemorating the men who died. It is believed these are the windows now on display at Cliffe Castle Museum.

Mr Wade said the memorial was currently under a dust sheet in his garage, safe from wet weather, waiting for a permanent home.

He said: “I’m going to contact Cliffe Castle Museum to see if they can look after it, although we are currently looking for a permanent display home for all of their stored war memorials.”