VETERANS and residents are being invite to stand side-by-side.

The anniversary of the end of the Falklands War was marked with a service at Clacton War Memorial on Thursday.

The ceremony, organised by the Clacton Royal British Legion, involved readings, prayers, laying of wreaths, the Last Post and Reveille.

A special Armed Forces flag will also be hoisted outside Clacton Town Hall by Tendring Council on June 25.

The ceremony will be followed by a coffee and cake sale in the Town Hall foyer, with funds raised supporting the Help for Heroes’ Bake for Heroes initiative.

The flag will be flown throughout the week, leading up to Armed Forces Day on June 30.

Chris Amos, the council’s Armed Forces champion, said: “The Falklands ceremony will be a sombre occasion as we remember those who gave their lives to protect a part of the UK from foreign invasion.

“In contrast, Armed Forces Day is a celebration of the wonderful work our military does, not just in defending our freedom but in delivering aid in parts of the world afflicted by conflict or disaster.”