OFFICIALS at Blackburn Cathedral say they will erect a memorial to mark the bravery of soldiers in the East Lancashire Regiment.

The news comes after former soldier Raymond Walsh spent nearly two years pushing for a commemorative plaque which recognises the seven Victoria Crosses awarded to the regiment.

Raymond, 77, of Lammack Road, Blackburn, was a corporal with the regiment and was based at North West Command between 1944 and 1948.

In 1958 the regiment was amalgamated with the South Lancashire Regiment (Prince of Wales Volunteers) to become the Lancashire Regiment (Prince of Wales Volunteers).

And in 1970 they were again amalgamated with The Loyal Regiment (North Lancashire) to become the Queen's Lancashire Regiment.

Mr Walsh, believes that a permanent memorial for the former regiment should be erected in the Regiment Chapel at Blackburn Cathedral.

But he claims that his idea was met with "very little enthusiasm" by religious and military authorities.

The first of the VCs to be awarded to the regiment was during the Crimean War in 1854, followed by Afghanistan in 1879, Belgium in 1914, France in 1915, Gallipoli in 1915, France again in 1918 and Dunkirk in 1940.

Mr Walsh, said: "In 20 years' time when the last of the old East Lancashire Regiment soldiers have died off, people will ask what the East Lancashire Regiment was and what it did.

"As the regiment is now amalgamated with others, there will be no further awards but nobody seems to be interested in having an engraved plaque.

"Three other churches have told me they would like to have the plaque, but I believe that it should be in the Regimental Chapel in the cathedral.

"I even offered to pay for the plaque and for the cost for it to be erected."

The Dean of Blackburn, the Very Rev Christopher Armstrong, said: "The plan to erect a commemorative plaque will go ahead.

"We had been working with an architect but unfortunately we lost him and we employed a new one in January.

"He has a lot of work to catch up on and this is not a priority.

"The cathedral architect needs to oversee the design for the plaque but it really depends on when he can fit us in."