THE Queen's Lancashire Regiment looks set to retain the county name in the title following a proposed merger - after an agreement with other North West regiments.

QLR sources are remaining tight-lipped about the agreement but said they have reached the "best possible conclusion."

The move follows three months of meetings and two weeks of intense discussion between the QLR and its North West neighbours - The King's Regiment in Manchester and Liverpool and The King's Own Royal Borders in Cumbria.

The Government had told the three regiments to agree how a future North West Regiment would look.

More than 2,000 Evening Telegraph readers have so far backed our campaign aimed at preserving the unique identity of the QLR.

Sources confirmed last week that the Royal Lancashire Regiment was one of the names put forward and it is thought that at the very least the word Lancashire will feature in the name of a region-wide force.

A source close to the discussions, said: "We are pleased to say that there has been an agreement between the regiments after some very difficult and drawn out negotiations.

"It is a decision which I think reaches the best possible conclusion for everybody concerned and can be made to work through the reorganisation.

"We have agreed on a proposed name which has to go forward to be finalised in a divisional plan before being submitted to the Executive Committee of the Army Board."

The source refused to reveal the proposed name because of the sensitivity of the issue, but added: "We have said from the beginning that our aim has been to maintain the special and specific links with Lancashire and nothing less would be acceptable to us.

"We believe a solution has been reached."

An agreement between the regiments should have been reached last week but talks were deadlocked over the issue of the name.

The King's Division, the body overseeing the Northern regiments will now report to the Executive Committee of the Army Board later this month before an announcement in December.