A FAMILY battling for permission to honour a Falklands war hero on the 25th anniversary of his death has been snubbed. Ron Chapman, of Tan-y-Graig Road, Old Colwyn, has been locked in a bitter dispute with the trustees of Old Colwyn’s war memorial committee for several years. Ron has been trying to erect a plaque or have David Osbourne’s name added to the memorial list at St Catherine’s Church on Abergele Road after his 23-year-old nephew was killed on May 4, 1982, when his ship HMS Sheffield was sunk in action. He made the request on behalf of his 73-year-old sister Joyce, who wishes the committee would see sense. “This is a difficult time because this week marks the 25th anniversary of my David’s death,” said Joyce. “Ron has been trying to make them see sense but they’ve just given excuses. It’s all very confusing as they haven’t given a proper reason for refusing it.” Ron added: “We were told there could be a possibility of his name being added to the Colwyn Bay memorial but that would seem strange, as for the first 10 years of his life he lived in Old Colwyn and was in the local choir. “It just doesn’t make sense and I’m unable to understand the reasons for it as my nephew died serving his country, just like the soldiers in the two world wars.” The trustees earlier turned down the application on the grounds they’d refused a similar request in 1988 from the wife of an RAF pilot who also lost his life in the Falklands, and that it would cost £2,000 for a new plaque. But Joyce added: “We don’t want anything fancy, even something simple like a little stone with his name on would be enough, just so we can remember him properly and his family can pay their respects at this important time.” Nobody from the committee was available for comment at the time of going to press. martin.williams | 
