Hampshire Poppy Appeal launched at Spinnaker Tower

The Royal British Legion's Poppy Appeal has been launched with events across the South including one at the Spinnaker Tower in Portsmouth.

Military personnel, veterans and volunteers gathered at Gunwharf Quays on Thursday to watch a brass-band parade mark the beginning of the fundraising.

The abseil down the tower planned had to be brought forward a day because of high winds forecast with Storm Benjamin.

Speaking at the event on Thursday, Royal British Legion (RBL) Ambassador Luke Delahunty said the appeal was about more than "remembering people who have lost their lives in battle".

Mr Delahunty joined the RAF in 1990 and was posted to the Queens Colour Squadron before being deployed to Bosnia and Northern Ireland.

After being posted back to the UK he was paralysed from the chest down after coming off his motorbike while on his way to work.

"That was the end of my military career basically... so I had to rebuild my life again".

He said buying a poppy was about remembrance, but also to help veterans who had been injured in service and were "still affected by those injuries".

"The legion can help them in so many ways," he said.

Royal British Legion Ambassador, Luke Delahunty, said the Poppy Appeal was about remembrance, but also to help veterans injured in service

The Poppy Appeal is the Royal British Legion's annual fundraising campaign held each year in November, during the period of Remembrance.

The legion provides lifelong support to serving and former military personnel and their families.

The charity estimates that its 40,000 volunteers distribute a total of about 40 million poppies each year.

The Poppy Appeal is the Royal British Legion's annual fundraising campaign held in November