Colchester came out to welcome its soldiers home from Afghanistan.

Thousands of people lined the High Street yesterday, cheering and waving flags, as the men and women of the town’s 16 Air Assault Brigade marched past.

Led by the Band of the Parachute Regiment, about 350 soldiers paraded from a service at St Peter’s Church, on North Hill, to a civic reception at the Town Hall, receiving a rousing reception from the public on their way.

During the poignant church service, the names of 32 killed in fighting with the Taliban, 11 of whom were based in Colchester, were read out.

Outside the Town Hall, the salute was taken by Lord Petre, the Lord Lieutenant of Essex, town mayor Margaret Fairley-Crowe, Secretary of State for Defence John Hutton, and Brigadier Mark Carleton-Smith, commander of 16 Air Assault Brigade.

Mr Hutton refused to be drawn on whether more British troops would be sent to Afghanistan, with America’s president-elect Barack Obama declaring his intention to raise US troops numbers.

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