Honour sought for Voytek, the 'Soldier Bear' [video 2min]

A campaign has been launched to build a permanent memorial to a bear that spent much of its life in Scotland - after fighting in World War II. The bear, named Voytek, was adopted by Polish troops in 1943 and helped their armed forces to carry ammunition at the Battle of Monte Cassino. Voytek later lived near Hutton, Berwick-upon-Tweed, on the Scottish Borders, and ended his days at Edinburgh Zoo. "He liked a cigarette, he liked a bottle of beer - he drank a bottle of beer like any man", says Polish veteran Augustyn Karolewski, who still lives near the site of the camp. Local campaigner Aileen Orr would like to see a memorial created at Holyrood to the bear she says was part of both the community and the area's history. She first heard about Voytek as a child from her grandfather, who served with the King's Own Scottish Borderers. "I thought he had made it up to be quite honest but it was only when I got married and came here that I knew in fact he was here, Voytek was here," she said. "When I heard from the community that so few people knew about him I began to actually research the facts. It is just amazing, the story is totally amazing."