HUNDREDS of people lined the streets of Haslingden to watch and cheer the Duke of Lancaster’s Regiment parade through the town.

People young and old gathered to see the Freedom Parade go past as troops started the march in Regent Street at noon.

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The men, accompanied with instruments, paraded down Bury Road before turning into Manchester Road.

Halting momentarily at the war memorial, the mayor of Rossendale Cllr Granville Morris and the Vice Lord-Lieutenant of Lancashire, Colonel Alan Jolley, saluted the regiment.

The parade then continued up Manchester Road, into Warner Street, onto Helmshore Road and then left into St Peter’s Avenue.

Frances Brady, head teacher of St James’ CE Primary School, said 160 pupils lined up outside the school in Regent Street to see the celebrations.

She said: “The children have been preparing all week for the parade.

“Everyone did some research into the regiment and what the march is all about.

“They all loved it, everyone brought their flags and waved it very proudly, it’s not often you get to see something like this.”

The parade was the first in Rossendale since the Queen’s Lancashire Regiment, which preceded the current regiment, marched in Rawtenstall in 2002. The regiment was awarded the Freedom of the Borough in 2001.

Stacey Elson, 53, from Helmshore, said: “It’s nice to come out and support the regiment for all the work they do.

“With a lot of things that have been taken away in Rossendale recently, it’s nice to see something positive come to town.

“The weather wasn’t too bad either, which helped bring in more people.”

Steph Leach, who runs The Parish Nursery in Lower Lane, said: “The children have never seen anything like this before so I thought it would be good for them to have a new experience.

“It looked like a good chunk of the town came out to see the parade.

“I hope it comes through Haslingden again sometime soon.”

The regiment also marched through Colne in May 2015 and Accrington in July, 2014.