SOLDIERS from the Royal Irish Regiment were given the freedom of an English town at the weekend.
Hundreds watched as soldiers paraded through Market Drayton and received the award.
The first battalion has been based at Tern Hill Barracks, outside the town, for the past six years.
Among those in attendance was Secretary of State, Owen Paterson, who is the MP for the area.
Last year, the regiment were honoured during a number of homecoming events in Northern Ireland following their most recent tour of Afghanistan.
In October, a military review and drumhead service was held at the King’s Hall in Belfast.