COPIES of Herald articles are to feature as part of a time capsule to sit in the 'heart' of a new city memorial.

Families of Plymouth servicemen who have been killed in recent conflicts have been asked to submit belongings or memories to the capsule.

The capsule will be placed underneath the iconic 18ft memorial, which is being constructed by 29 Commando Regiment Royal Artillery at the entrance to the Royal Citadel.

As well as Herald stories paying tribute to the soldiers and stories of the memorial itself, the time capsule will feature photographs, items belonging to the fallen soldiers and even their ashes.

Project leader Major Paul Greene, welfare officer at 29 Commando, said: "The Herald has been heavily involved with this project and it's only right and proper that something is held inside.

"In future years if the capsule is uncovered it will paint a clear picture of how the build process and PR came together.

"It's nice the papers will be going in there to become part of the memorial's heart."

The Herald helped to highlight a fundraising drive for the memorial project, which began in 2008.

Since then more than £100,000 has been raised towards the cost of the build, which is expected to begin shortly.

Once complete it will boast a massive commando dagger made from shell casings from the Afghanistan war.

The Herald's defence reporter, Tristan Nichols, said: "We have been involved with the memorial project since day one and we are delighted to hand over copies of the paper for the capsule.

"The stories have meant a lot to the families of those Army commandos killed in action and we are delighted to continue to support them. It is a huge honour to be involved with this project to such a degree."