THE Royal British Legion has said poppies can be bought 20 miles away after a Kington woman said there were none in the town.

Every year in November, many people choose to wear a poppy as a symbol of remembering everyone who gave their lives to wars, but also to those who have died on behalf of their country.

The poppies are sold as part of the Poppy Appeal that raises money for the Royal British Legion, an organisation that helps those affected by conflicts and all the servicemen and women who are still alive today and lives were changed by wars they thought in.

But it relies heavily on volunteers to do so, and the legion has called out for help after a woman from Kington claimed there were none for sale in the town.

Wendy Watts said she had volunteered selling poppies for 22 years, but was not approached this year.

Instead, she has decorated a tree in the garden of her house, in Hatton Gardens, with home-made poppies and crosses.

She said she was looking to raise some money for the Royal British Legion from any donations.

When asked about a lack of poppies in Kington, a spokesperson for the Royal British Legion said poppies could be bought at supermarkets in Hereford – some 20 miles away.

"The location of poppy boxes varies from area to area depending on volunteer coverage," they said.

"However, through our collectors and partner organisations, poppies are available from the major supermarkets in Hereford including Sainsbury's, Asda, Tesco and Morrisons, and with online retailers including eBay, Amazon and the Poppy Shop."

Local cadets had also been out in Hereford city centre with boxes, they said.

"Around 40,000 volunteers support the appeal annually across all roles such as distributing stock and wreaths and carrying out collections in communities, high streets and businesses.

"Our volunteers are the lifeblood of the Poppy Appeal and we encourage all those who are interested in supporting us in Herefordshire to get in touch with Nicole Mayall at the RBL – nmayall@britishlegion.org.uk – to register your interest."

The notion of wearing a poppy originates back to World War One when the flower began to grow in the battlefields soldiers lost their lives in.

But the poppy wasn't made a popular way to remember the brave until the famous World War One poem In Flanders Fields was written by John McCrae.