MORE than 30 Bury lads and lasses accepted the chance to earn the Queen's shilling and join the rank and file of the town's heroic sons.

While visits to Bolton and Rochdale have proven fruitless, a day's recruitment in Bury town centre on Wednesday reaped rich reward for soldiers from the 2nd Battalion, the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers ,who have been spearheading the latest Operation Shilling recruitment drive.

The country's top infantry regiment will now follow up a host of applications from teenagers keen to join up.

Recruits sergeant Lee Snelling, based at Bury's Wellington Barracks RRF headquarters in Bolton Road, said: "We have had only a few applications to enlist during our tour of traditional Fusilier recruitment towns in the Manchester area.

"However, it is Bury that continues to provide our ranks with enthusiastic recruits.

"Bury provides the regiment with the most fearless and bravest soldiers in the world."