HAMPSHIRE will be able to give troops a heroes’ welcome in a series of homecoming parades this summer.

Thousands are expected to line the streets when soldiers who have served in Iraq and Afghanistan parade through Southampton and Romsey.

Around 300 members of the 1st battalion of the Princess of Wales’s Royal Regiment (PWRR) will march with regimental bands playing, colours flying and bayonets fixed.

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Southampton City Council is planning a further parade this summer for the city’s Territorial Army regiments who were last year given the freedom of the city and have also seen service in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Deputy council leader Councillor Royston Smith, a former RAF engineer, said: “We are very supportive of all the homecoming parades and will do as much as possible to welcome the troops back.

“It’s absolutely important when you send people potentially to risk their lives on your behalf that you recognise that when they come back. We owe these people our freedom.”

The PWRR troops are currently on active service – some performing armed escort duty in Afghanistan and others in Iraq, where they have been training the Iraqi army.

The regiment enjoys the freedom of Romsey, which it inherited from the old Royal Hampshire Regiment following its amalgamation in 1992 with the Queen’s Regiment.

They will march in Southampton before attending a service at Romsey Abbey at 2.30pm, then march back to Romsey Market Place to receive an official civic welcome, then on to Romsey School for a reception.

The parades will be held on Tuesday, July 14.

“We think this is very important.

It is a great honour to have the civic freedom of Romsey,”

said Major Tony Martin, the deputy regimental secretary.

The PWRR is the most decorated of all British Army regiments, with 57 Victoria Crosses including the VC awarded to Lance Corporal Johnson Beharry in 2004 for his gallantry in Iraq.

The 1st battalion are known as the Armoured Tigers. They are normally stationed in Paderborn, Germany.

In January thousands turned out in Winchester to welcome home more than 300 service personnel from The Rifles, the King’s Royal Hussars, the 1st Battalion Irish Guards, 1st Battalion Grenadier Guards, the frigate HMS Richmond, RAF Odiham and the 4 General Support (Medical) Regiment.