The Mercian Regiment to parade through Mansfield town centre

Approximately 150 troops from 2nd Battalion The Mercian Regiment (formerly the Worcestershire and Sherwood Foresters) will parade down Westgate from St John’s Street at 12.30pm.

Mayor Tony Egginton and the Vice Lord-Lieutenant will then take a salute from the regiment in front of the Old Town Hall in the market place.

The regiment is a light role infantry battalion that is based at Palace Barracks, Holywood, in Northern Ireland. It will be moving to Dale Barracks, Chester over the next six months.

Following this it will be deployed on a United Nations tour of Cyprus.

The Mercian Regiment recruits many of its soldiers from Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire and is therefore taking the opportunity to exercise their freedom. The freedom was originally awarded in 1953 and updated in 2007.

Mayor Egginton said: “We are looking forward to welcoming back 2 Mercian so we can show our support and gratitude for the extremely difficult and dangerous job that they do.”