Crowds greet 2nd Battalion Mercian Regiment for home-coming parade

More than 80 soldiers marched along the streets as they celebrated their freedom of the town.

Hundreds of people turned out to show their support as the parade, headed by the Royal Army Corps Band, made its way from New Road to the town hall where there was a salute to members of the Royal British Legion and civic dignitaries including Kidderminster mayor Councillor Mike Price and chairman of Wyre Forest District Council Councillor Stephen Williams as well as Wyre Forest MP Mark Garnier.

The parade, which also included Private Derby XXX the ram - who is the regiment's mascot, then continued to Weavers Wharf.

Afterwards the soldiers attended a civic reception hosted by the mayor at the town hall.

Private Stephen Harper, aged 24, from Rubery, near Bromsgrove, who has recently returned from a deployment exercise in Lithuania, said: "It's great to see people show their support for their local regiment.

"It makes us feel very proud."

Private Jake Woolley, aged 25, from Bartley Green, Birmingham, added: "We enjoy these parades as it's good to go out to see people especially in towns like Kidderminster where we recruit from. It gives us a presence in the community."

Mr Garnier said: "It was a great success and it was really nice to see such a good turnout.

"People want to show their thanks to the Armed Forces. They do a huge amount of stuff for us and people want to show their gratitude by coming to see them and clapping as they go past."

Among those who turned out to show their support was retired lecturer Peter Sampson, of Birmingham Road, Kidderminster.

The 67-year-old father-of-two said: "These soldiers risk their lives - often on an almost daily basis - to allow us to continue to live our lives with the freedom we have today.

"They are helping to make the world a better place by supporting those in other countries and we owe them so much."

The Mercian Regiment - which was formed from the Worcestershire and Sherwood Foresters - was first granted freedom of Kidderminster in 1952.