Over 100 soldiers from the 3rd Battalion the Yorkshire Regiment (Duke of Wellington's) exercised the freedom of the town by marching through the streets of the town with bayonets fixed, bands playing and colours flying.

They were marking the transfer of the freedom of the town, which was first presented to the Duke of Wellington's Regiment on June 18, 1945, the 130th anniversary of the Battle of Waterloo.

The parade was led by the King's Division Normandy Band from Union Street into Southgate, where the Mayor of Calderdale Conrad Winterburn took the salute and inspected the troops.

He said: "Within Halifax we have, for many years, served as the regimental home and barracks.

"We have a long and proud association with the former Duke of Wellington's regiment and hope to maintain this association with the 3rd battalion."

Deputy Colonel of the Yorkshire Regiment, Colonel Simon Newton, said: "We are very grateful and very proud of this freedom.

"We do our duty as ordered but it is always a comfort to know that we have the support of the people of the UK, and especially the people of Halifax and Calderdale, with whom we have, historically and in the present time, a close association."

Michael O'Neill, whose brother Corporal Kris O'Neill was killed in Iraq in April 2007, was watching the parade with his son.

He said: "I'm glad to see such a good turnout. We are proud of our Army and it is good to come down and watch them again.

"It brings back memories – we went to plenty of parades for Kris, passing out parades and then memorial parades afterwards.

"Even though they are fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan they are also here to protect us."

The event was one of six freedom parades – the others being held in Skipton, Bradford, Barnsley, Sheffield and Huddersfield – to mark the transfer of the freedom of the borough to the Yorkshire Regiment, which was created in 2006 as part of the restructuring of the Army.