SOLDIERS will march through Pontypool to celebrate the Royal Welsh regiment being honoured with the freedom of Torfaen.

The parade will be led by the regiment’s mascot, a goat called Taffy, and involve 160 people including around 40 soldiers, 40 army musicians, Gwent Army cadets and veterans from the Regimental Association.

Torfaen council decided to grant the regiment the honour in June last year in recognition of its heroism and devotion during the British Army’s campaigns in Afghanistan and Iraq.

The event will take place on June 5, when soldiers from the Royal Welsh will arrive at Pontypool Park’s memorial gates at 9am to begin a bucket collection in aid of Ty Hafan Children’s Hospice.

The march, with the Band of The Prince of Wales’ Division providing music, will begin at 11am in Market Street and proceed into Commercial Street where it will halt for a ceremony of presentation of the freedom scroll at the memorial gates.

The parade will continue onto Clarence Roundabout, along Hanbury Road, Commercial Street, Crane Street, Glantorvaen Road and eventually back to Market Street where it will finish at noon.

Road closures and traffic diversions will be put in place during the parade and Torfaen council officers will contact traders and bus companies about disruptions ahead of the event.

Last week we reported Royal Welsh soldiers will also march through Blackwood in September to mark the regiment being awarded the freedom of Caerphilly borough.

The marches are part of a series of homecoming parades across Wales as the regiment gradually acquires freedom of all 22 local authority areas.