Epsom's mayor travelled to France to lay wreaths at the grave of a soldier and a war memorial naming two brothers who all died in World War One.

Private Archibald Jones, 29, from Epsom, fought in the Retreat from Mons and died in September 1914.

In the same month, Epsom brothers Private Charles Morley, 26, and Private Philip Morley, 29, were both killed in action, probably by shellfire.

As well as remembering these First World War soldiers, Epsom’s mayor Councillor Robert Foote laid a floral tribute at Epsom’s twin town Chantilly and gave a remembrance speech in two languages.

Ewell Village Residents’ Association chairman Brian Angus, who accompanied the mayor, said: "On Monday we drove to the east of Paris and down an un-metalled road to a small graveyard at Perruese and laid a wreath at the grave of Private Archibald Jones from Epsom.

"In contrast the memorial at La Ferte-sous-Jourre alongside the River Marne was massive. "The names of the Epsom Morley brothers were amongst 3,800 who had died within the first three months of war with no known graves."

Mr Angus said the mayor spoke to a gathering, including the mayor of Chantilly and visitors from Chantilly in Washington, on Tuesday.

He said: "Councillor Foote spoke of ‘that opportunity to forge stronger links and understand the lessons of the past by seeing them from our different perspectives’.

"At a poignant concert in the evening, music was interspersed with children read letters between a World War One French infantry man and his young family."