THE Queen's Lancashire Regiment today welcomed plans for a permanent memorial to the Accrington Pals, as plans for a street party to remember the tragic soldiers were unveiled.

Coun Malcolm Pritchard, Labour representative for Milnshaw, today announced he is applying for £5,000 funding from grant organisation Home Front Recall.

If the bid is successful he is planning to use it to organise events over two days in July, topped off with the unveiling of a memorial stone to the Pals.

Coun Pritchard said: "Hopefully people will remember that the soldiers sacrificed their lives for the sake of England. They said goodbye to their loved ones and they never came back."

Coun Pritchard says that all walks of life will be invited to the celebrations, on July 3 and 4, with schools and churches, along with voluntary organisations joining in.

Then on Sunday, members of the QLR would be on hand for the unveiling of the memorial in Church Street.

The stone is to be about 6ft tall by 3ft wide, with the crests of the QLR, Accrington Pals and Hyndburn. As well as remembering the pals, it would honour the QLR for being given the freedom of the borough two years ago.

Colonel John Downham, the QLR's regimental secretary, said: "We have put it to our regimental council and we are absolutely delighted at the borough's initiative. It has our full support and we are very much looking forward to the dedication on Somme weekend."

Local historian Bill Turner, who has written a number of books on the 'Pals' also greeted the developments.

The QLR was formed in 1970 when three regiments from across Lancashire merged. The Pals were actually the 11th Service Battalion, of the East Lancashire Regiment.

The Pals suffered massive losses at the battle of the Somme in July 1916.

Coun Win Frankland, Mayor of Hyndburn, whose grandfather, Joseph Hanson, signed up to the East Lancashire regiment in 1917, said: "It would be a welcome return home for the old soldiers. It's an acknowledgement at last.

"There is a plaque in the Town Hall but it isn't all that visible.

"I think something else within the town would be a good thing. It's just a shame it has taken so long to do it."