'PCSO proposals would weaken visible policing'

As Armistice Day approaches tomorrow, our city pauses to honour those who served, and to reflect on what service truly means.

- David Williams - MP for Stoke-on-Trent North

Police Community Support Officers on the streets of Stoke-on-Trent. Plans have been unveiled which may result in pay being cut.

For some, it meant putting on a uniform and travelling to the front line to defend our freedoms and those of others.

For some, it means serving here at home: protecting our neighbourhoods, supporting vulnerable residents, or helping young people find a brighter future.

Of course, nothing we do today can compare to the sacrifice made by those who served in conflict and never returned home. But the values they embodied: duty, courage, commitment to others, endure. Service takes many forms, but its spirit is constant: duty, sacrifice and commitment to others.

In September, I stood in Burslem Cemetery as a new cross was unveiled over the grave of Private Alfred William Holdcroft.

Alfred survived the Battle of the Somme but later died from his wounds.

For decades, his grave lay unmarked, until dedicated local residents led by Mike Lightfoot worked to ensure he was recognised and remembered properly.