Britain’s war graves will soon be looking better thanks to a campaign launched in Colchester.

The government has announced that from January 1 the upkeep of those killed after the Second World War will start being transferred over to the War Graves Commission.

At present, soldiers killed in the Falklands, Afghanistan, Iraq and other conflicts have their graves maintained by the Ministry of Defence.

But with the MOD spending around a third of what the commission spends, standards for the newer victims of war were not the same as those who laid down their lives during the First and Second World Wars.

This upset Mike Jackson, whose son-in-law Kevin Fortuna died in Afghanistan, and Garrison Sergeant Major Ceri Ceaser, who joined Mr Jackson’s campaign.

Several years ago, they contacted former Colchester MP Sir Bob Russell, who lobbied the government after seeing the state of the post war graves in Colchester cemetery.

When the Lib-Dem MP lost his seat last May to Conservative Will Quince, the new MP took up their fight.

Mr Quince met with former Chancellor George Osborne, who a year ago found an extra £2 million for the War Graves Commission to maintain all war graves.

Some 6,000 war graves nationally will benefit from the move.

The MP said: “It’s brilliant news. We started with a local constituent coming in for help and it was realised there was a national problem.”

He paid tribute to the former Chancellor, but said it was “frustrating” waiting a year for the wheels of Whitehall to finally deliver.

The MP received details of how the new arrangements will work, from Earl Lord Howe, the Minister of State for the MoD and Deputy Leader of the House of Lords.

Colour Serjeant Fortuna, who had served in Ireland, Kosovo, Iraq and Afghanistan, died after stepping on an improvised explosive device in 2011. He was 36.

Mr Jackson, of Mellor Chase, Colchester, said: “It’s fantastic news.. I have been lobbying this for a few years. We are highly delighted that 6000 more soldiers will have their graves maintained to the same immaculate standard that their predecessors have.”

The 67-year-old said the differences in standards are clear when you “Post World War 2 graves have been maintained by the MOD. They subcontract to local contractors and this didn’t allow a similar standard. If you stand between the two types of graves, you can see the difference.”

“”There are about 60 MOD graves in Colchester and hundreds of World War One and World War Two graves in different parts of Colchester Cemetry.

“The War Graves Commission has its own full-time employees with their own vehicles and equipment paid by government to do the job in the UK and overseas- a landscaped gardening business with people who do it professionally.

“A lot of families will gain comfort to know their relatives are now going to be looked after properly,” he added.