Service for Troubles soldiers

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Hundreds of former soldiers went to the service in St Paul's Cathedral

Gordon Brown and Baroness Thatcher have attended a service in London to honour the thousands of soldiers who served in Northern Ireland during the Troubles.

More than 300,000 soldiers were involved in Operation Banner, the official title for military operations, between 1969 and 2007.

In that time 763 military personnel died and more than 6,000 were injured.

The Prince of Wales and Conservative leader David Cameron also attended the service at St Paul's Cathedral.

Hundreds of former soldiers and the widows and families of many of those who were killed also attended.

After the service, about 700 veterans marched from the cathedral to Guildhall for a reception, hosted by the Prince of Wales.

Baroness Thatcher was among the political figures at the service

Mary Moreland served in the Ulster Defence Regiment with her husband John, who was shot dead in 1988.

She said the armed forces should be thanked for their role in Northern Ireland.

"There's a lot of people, a silent majority of people out there who really respect and really appreciate what the services did, and appreciate that they couldn't live the way they're living today if that sacrifice hadn't been made.

"Every day is a remembrance for people that suffered, and I think what we have to do is not live in the past, but remember it. Don't let us rewrite history, let us remember it how it was, and let us move forward."

Steve Norman, who served on three tours of NI with the Royal Anglian Regiment, was shot and wounded in the Creggan estate in Londonderry in 1973.

(They) combined a remarkable degree of military efficiency with a capacity to engage in a humane way with the civilian population Richard Chartres Bishop of London An occasion of 'great dignity' In pictures: St Paul's service

"To a great extent, a lot of British soldiers do feel a bit let down or ignored or the sacrifice has not not been recognised, but today goes a long way to redress that," he said.

In his sermon, the Bishop of London, Richard Chartres, praised the "exemplary" way soldiers conducted themselves during their service.

"I've been able to see personally in other theatres how the lessons of NI have entered the DNA of the British armed forces, who in my view combined a remarkable degree of military efficiency with a capacity to engage in a humane way with the civilian population."

In a statement the Prime Minister said: "They helped create the conditions for the peace Northern Ireland now enjoys and today we salute their courage.

"It is in their honour and for all the people of Northern Ireland that all those committed to the province's future must work together to ensure a lasting peace."