Councils unite in opposition to Fusiliers regiment being disbanded

Photo: Jan Harwood

Soldiers from the Second Battalion of the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers.

Rochdale Borough Council has united with the other 9 Greater Manchester councils to urge the government to save the Second Battalion, the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers.

The battalion, which recruits from Greater Manchester, is to be disbanded in 2014 as part of Army cuts.

The Association of Greater Manchester Authorities (Agma) members voted to back the campaign to keep the regiment.

Agma chairman Lord Peter Smith said: "[It] will decimate a proud battalion of men that has seen the loyal service of Greater Manchester soldiers who have trained hard to become the incredibly well-trained and disciplined heroes of conflicts around the world."

The Royal Fusiliers has served in every major campaign since 1674, including Iraq and Afghanistan.