SUNDAY'S Remembrance service in Kingsbridge was marred for some – due to a timing mix up for the two-minute silence.

As silence fell around the war memorial, players and the crowd at Kingsbridge Rugby Club could be heard shouting and cheering from the ground at High House.

In a letter to the Gazette, Fred Milano expressed his anger at what happened.

He wrote: 'With what must have been the biggest turn out in Kingsbridge on Remembrance Sunday, I was appalled that the very moment the first gun went off to signal the start of the two minutes' silence, the idiotic imbeciles running the Kingsbridge Rugby Club had arranged a match to coincide.'

Mr Milano added: 'Up until six years ago I was a vice president and loyal supporter of the club, but on this Sunday of all Sundays I felt ashamed to have ever been associated with them.'

Honorary secretary of the club Martin Newman has apologised. In a letter to the Kingsbridge branch of the Royal British Legion and also Kingsbridge Town Council, he said: 'It has been brought to my attention today that some of your members have expressed their disappointment at being able to hear cheering coming from our ground during the two-minute silence period on Remembrance Sunday.

'Please accept our sincere apologies for this.

'All of our teams observed a two-minute silence prior to their matches, but it obviously did not coincide precisely with the timing of the one on the Quay.

'This is most regrettable and we aim to take steps to make sure that this does not occur again in the future.

'While it is difficult with teams visiting our club very often coming from distance, we will try to arrange that matches on Remembrance Sunday do not kick off until 11.30am wherever possible.

'Once again, please accept our apologies but rest assured this was not a case of being insensitive but merely a case of bad timings.'

Eric Johnson, chairman of the Royal British Legion Kingsbridge branch, said: 'I've received a letter of apology from the rugby club and also an apology from the chairman.

'It's a balance. Obviously someone wasn't keeping an eye on what was going on, but we've resolved it all now.'