Soldiers march to mark homecoming

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Crowds lined the streets and applauded the soldiers

Large crowds have turned out for a soldiers' parade through a Warwickshire town to mark their homecoming.

Members of the Queen's Royal Hussars (The Queen's Own and Royal Irish) marched in Warwick to mark their return from service in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The soldiers, accompanied by a military band, were greeted with applause by flag-waving crowds.

The regiment is the West Midlands' local armoured regiment and recruits soldiers from across the region.

Its commanding officer, Lt Col Chris Coles, said the regiment had completed its third tour in Iraq since 2004.

He said all regiment's soldiers returned home safely from Iraq to its base in Germany in May.

"Such a tempo of operations places a lot of strain on the soldiers, but we should not forget the effect that this has on their families too - not just the separation but also not being there for the day-to-day problems.

"This is why support from the 'home base' is so important."