Vigils held to save Mercian Regiment's Staffords name

Veterans and members of the British Legion hold a silent vigil outside Hanley Town Hall

Vigils have taken place to save the name of a former Staffordshire regiment.

The 3rd Battalion The Mercian Regiment (Staffords) will be scrapped under government plans to re-organise the Army.

Supporters of the Staffords gathered in Hanley, Lichfield, Cannock and Rugeley for hour-long silent vigils from 11:00 BST.

They want to see its name retained in some form within the British Army.

The Staffordshire Regiment was formed in 1959 and used to exist in its own right, until the formation of the Mercian Regiment.

It then became known as 3rd Battalion of the Mercian Regiment, but retained the name "the Staffords".

Its headquarters are in Lichfield and it recruits soldiers from Staffordshire, the West Midlands and Birmingham.

The Army is losing 17 major units, including the 3rd Battalion The Mercian Regiment, under plans to cut 20,000 regular soldiers by 2020.

More than 10,000 signatures have been collected on petitions calling for the Staffords name to be retained in some form, along with its history and traditions.