A pair of fishing enthusiasts have shown reel love for the Surrey Comet’s Honour the Fallen campaign.

Barry Alderson and his wife Audrey donated £50 to our campaign after collecting the money from a charity fishing match.

The money will go towards restoration of the memorial at St John the Baptist church, which was toppled on September 5 under the weight of thieves who stole a strip of lead from its roof.

The Surrey Comet’s campaign is hoping to generate more than £3,000 needed to restore the 90-year-old oak monument in time for Remembrance Sunday.

The Alderson couple started the Kingston Rodbenders fishing club in the late 1960s and decided to host matches to raise funds to try and expand the group.

As interest in the club began to dwindle the former metal worker, his wife, daughter and son in law decided to carry on running the matches but give the money to charity instead.

Mr Alderson, 75, said: “We raised a few hundred pounds a year and gave the money to local charities. We like to keep it local and not the big charities.

“The fishermen go on the circuit and talk among themselves but it’s one of the most popular matches held on the Thames, it was anyway. It’s sadly in decline as other sports and things are.”

The pensioner, who said several thousand pounds must have been raised from the matches over the years, decided to hand the reins over three years ago as it was getting too much.

These days New Malden fisherman Jimmy Archer overseas the matches, which take place on the riverbank at Canbury Gardens in Kingston, however Mr and Mrs Alderson still decide where the cash goes.

He said: “We take our time and don’t spend it all at once but hand it out when we think there is something worthwhile like this.”