MORE than 150 soldiers from the Yorkshire Regiment will next week march through the streets of Bradford.

The soldiers from the 1st Battalion will march in full parade dress uniform with bayonets fixed, band playing and colours flying as they exercise their right to the Freedom of the City on Thursday, June 18.

The parade will mark the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Waterloo, in which the Yorkshire-based Duke of Wellington’s Regiment - now part of the Yorkshire Regiment - took part.

The regiment fought alongside thousands of soldiers, including other Yorkshire troops, to help defeat Napoleon.

The Yorkshire Regiment has a long connection with Bradford and many of the soldiers in the parade are from the district.

The 1st Battalion has recently been given a new role as an armoured infantry battalion equipped with Warrior tanks. It forms part of the Army's reactive, high-readiness force and is based in Warminster, Wiltshire, ready to deploy at a moment’s notice.

Commanding Officer of the 1st Battalion Lt Col Andy Garner said it would be a "great boost to everyone's morale" to be able to march in Yorkshire, after returning from training in Canada.

He said: "It is an honour and a real privilege to be able to be on parade, here at ‘home in Yorkshire’.

"This has been an incredibly busy time for the battalion and since deploying to Canada in October, the pace of life has been hectic as we build up to a new capability at the forefront of the Army’s reactive, high-readiness force.

"The chance to celebrate where we are from, see our friends and families and to renew our connections with Yorkshire is a great boost to everyone’s morale."

The parade will begin at 11am, when soldiers will march into Centenary Square, led by the Band of the King’s Division.

The Lord Mayor of Bradford Councillor Joanne Dodds will be invited to inspect the troops by Lt Col Garner, and also present will be Col Stephen Padgett, the outgoing Catterick Garrison Commander and a member of the Regiment.

Cllr Dodds said it would be a day to remember and urged people to turn out to cheer on the soldiers.

She said: "I look forward to expressing on behalf of the district our appreciation of what the Armed Forces do for our country.

"I really hope people come and show their support for our Armed Forces, by lining the route and cheering on the troops."

The parade route will take in Bridge Street, Sunbridge Road, Kirkgate, Cheapside, Upper Piccadilly, John Street, Westgate and Godwin Street, before heading back through City Park and Centenary Square.

The Yorkshire Regiment was first awarded the Freedom of the City in 2010 and this will be the fifth time it has exercised this ancient right to march through the streets of Bradford.

Soldiers from The Yorkshire Regiment have recently been deployed on exercises in Romania and Estonia and conducted training tasks in Syria and Kenya.