A new development of retirement flats in Yate will be named after a 94-year-old war veteran from the town.

Leonard Trewin was born in Cornwall on August 19, 1924.

He was only 14-years-old when WW2 started, but he joined the Home Front on his 15th birthday.

From there he formed part of the Warwickshires after he signed up with the Forces in 1943.

Just weeks in to his training though he volunteered himself for the Parachute Regiment.

Leonard went on to jump 75 times throughout his time in the Army, including in Israel, Sudan and even in Operation Varsity in 1945.

He officially left the Army in 1953 after marrying a German lady called Gerda Stanza.

More than 60 years later he was awarded the highest French military medal, the Légion d’honneur.

He is expected to go to France in the summer for the official award ceremony, however there was something else he had to be presented with first.

A few weeks ago Leonard and his family were contacted by Churchill, the company developing 62 new retirement flats by Normandy Drive in Yate.

They wanted to name the building in honour of the paratrooper, something he was truly humbled by.

“I am very proud that the building will be called Trewin Lodge,” he said. “It is a great honour and a complete surprise.

“Gerda would have been very pleased and would have said ‘it is about time you got recognised for the sacrifices you made’.

“I’m a bit apprehensive because I don’t know what to expect in regards to the official unveiling next year, but it is a great honour so thanks to Churchill.

“I hope that the people that move in to these retirement homes enjoy a very special time here.”

Churchill’s regional marketing executive Jo Ridehalgh said: “For every new Churchill development we try to choose a name with a strong connection to the local community.

“We are delighted to be able to honour Leonard’s incredible service to his country and the town, and to recognise his more recent achievements by naming Trewin Lodge after him.

“He is an excellent example of someone who continues to thrive at the age of 94, and we hope Trewin Lodge will be a place where many others can follow his example and enjoy their retirement years to the full.”