THE battle lines have been drawn as the top brass at the Queen's Lancashire Regiment (QLR) laid down their plans to save their historic regiment from merger.

Although campaign bosses are keeping their strategy under wraps for the moment, it is understood the plan meets the requirements of a large regiment while retaining its Lancashire identity.

It is the next step in the Citizen -backed campaign to save the historic regiment, based at Fulwood Barracks after the Ministry of Defence revealed plans that could see the QLR merge with other regiments.

Hundreds of people have signed the regiment's petition and made hits on its website. Lieutenant Colonel John Downham said: "Support has been unbelievable and our branches across Lancashire have been doing a tremendous job. In Burnley they have been queuing out of the door to sign the petition.

"We've had just more than 350 hits on the website and we haven't hooked up to a search engine yet so a lot of people can't find it. Hopefully this will be resolved.

"But I appeal to people to sign the petition, circulate copies widely, write to your MPs, council and local newspaper in support of the regiment because it has so much history and we cannot lose it or allow it to be replaced."