THE Regiment of the Royal Welch Fusiliers marched on Newport at the weekend - but the soldiers had every right to.

For the event was all part of the celebrations to mark the fact the Wrexham-based regiment was being awarded the Freedom of the Borough.

Their newly-conferred freeman status, given in recognition of the association between the county borough and the regiment, meant they could march across the town.

Saturday's celebrations started in the Civic Centre, where flags were flying at half-mast in tribute to those who lost their lives in the terrorist attacks in America last week.

The mayor of Newport, Councillor Ron Morris, pictured, joined the Colonel of the Regiment, Major General Brian Plummer, to inspect the parade.

Councillor Morris also handed to the Major General a parchment scroll recording the presentation of the Freedom of the Right of Entry to Newport.

Soldiers, together with comrades branches of the Royal Welch Fusiliers from around Wales, then marched off, led by the Regimental Band of the Royal Welsh Regiment.

They paraded through the town with bayonets fixed, drums beating and colours flying. The route included Clytha Park Road, Bridge Street, High Street, Market Square, Upper Dock Street and Skinner Street.

Outside the main Post Office in Bridge Street, Councillor Morris, Major General Plummer and the Vice Lord Lieutenant, Major General Lennox Napier, took the salute.

Back at the Civic Centre, the mayor took the salute at a march past.

Harriet Mutlow, originally from Abergavenny but now living in Hampshire, travelled back to Gwent on Saturday with other members of her family to watch her son, Warrant Officer Richard Mutlow, take part in the parade.

She said: "It is wonderful to be back in Gwent. And it is nice to see the regiment having the freedom of the borough." The Regiment, founded on the Welsh border on March 16, 1689, is the oldest infantry regiment of Wales.

Some soldiers who were not in the parade manned a regimental recruiting stand in Newport town centre on Saturday.