Yorkshire Regiment welcomed home from Afghanistan

The 3rd Battalion the Yorkshire Regiment has marched through Warminster to mark their return from Afghanistan.

The battalion lost nine comrades in the tour and returned to their Wiltshire barracks in September.

The parade started in Station Road at 10:00 GMT and was followed by a service of thanksgiving at the Minster Church of St Denys.

They were also awarded the Freedom of Warminster by the town council.

Later on Friday, the battalion is due to return to Battlesbury Barracks for an Afghanistan Operational Medals Parade.

During the deployment, Corunna Company lost six soldiers in an explosion; Cpl Jake Hartley, Pte Anthony Frampton, Pte Christopher Kershaw, Pte Daniel Wade, Pte Daniel Wilford and Sgt Nigel Coupe, who was on secondment to the regiment, were killed when their Warrior armoured vehicle was struck by an improvised explosive device in March.

Pte Gregg Stone was shot during an operation to rescue a policeman kidnapped by insurgents in June.

Sgt Gareth Thursby and Pte Thomas Wroe were shot and fatally wounded by a rogue Afghan local policeman in September.