SOLDIERS recently returned from a gruelling tour of Afghanistan today expressed their heartfelt thanks to the people of Suffolk who have honoured them for their efforts.

SOLDIERS recently returned from a gruelling tour of Afghanistan today expressed their heartfelt thanks to the people of Suffolk who have honoured them for their efforts.

Crowds gathered in Ipswich, Bury St Edmunds and elsewhere in the region to applaud the troops of the 1st Battalion Royal Anglian Regiment for their brave mission to bring democracy to the war torn Middle Eastern country after their recent return.

Speaking on behalf of the Royal Anglian Regiment a spokesman said: “We would like to thank the people of East Anglia for the vital support that they have given to our battalion, The Vikings, throughout their six month tour in Helmand Province, Afghanistan.

“This generosity, given by all sections of the community in so many differing ways, has mattered greatly to the regiment and has been quite humbling.

“The outpouring of support has maintained the morale of our soldiers and made them feel that they, and the difficult job they have to do, are both valued and appreciated by the nation they strive to serve.

“We recruit our soldiers from you. They are your sons, your brothers, your husbands, your fathers, your cousins, your nephews and your uncles. Your generosity of thought, deed and prayers, given at their time of danger, has strengthened the bond which ties together the people of East Anglia and their regiment.”