A PARADE to welcome troops from the Royal Anglian Regiment home from Afghanistan is set to take place in Ely this summer. The parade, which will take place on June 16, will see more than 300 troops from the regiment s Cambridgeshire battalion marching the

A PARADE to welcome troops from the Royal Anglian Regiment home from Afghanistan is set to take place in Ely this summer.

The parade, which will take place on June 16, will see more than 300 troops from the regiment's Cambridgeshire battalion marching their colours through the city before heading to the cathedral for a formal reception.

The Royal Anglians inherited the freedom of the city when they amalgamated with the Suffolk and Cambridgeshire Regiment in 1971 and mayor of Ely Richard Hobbs is hoping that thousands of people will turn out to see the troops parade through the city for the first time,

"I'm hoping as many people as possible can make it down on the day to welcome the troops either on their march through the city or at their reception in the cathedral, said Mr Hobbs.

"I think it is a tremendous honour that the regiment has chosen Ely as one of the cities to parade through and I hope people will come out and give them the welcome they deserve."

The troops will set out from Market Square in the centre of the city at around 11am before heading up High Street and on into the cathedral for an official reception. Members of the public are being invited to line the route.

The troops will also be parading through Norwich and Cambridge in the days after they return from service in Afghanistan.

Mayor Hobbs is also hoping that members of the public will show their support for the troops by helping to by them all a drink,

"We are asking people who shop in Waitrose to show their support for the welcoming by dropping their tokens into our box, which we will be putting towards extra drinks for the soldiers as a gift from the public, he said.