SOLDIERS from the North West returned home to hugs, kisses and tears of celebration following a gruelling sixth-month tour in Afghanistan which left three of their comrades dead.

Last night more than 100 front-line troops from the First Battalion Duke of Lancaster’s Regiment were met by loved ones at Catterick barracks.

And having dodged bullets, improvised explosive devices and missiles from the Taliban, members of the regiment, known as 1LANCS, were just pleased to be home safe.

Wearing t-shirts saying ‘My Hero’ and waving ‘Welcome Home’ banners families watched with pride as the soldiers paraded before being reunited.

Rachel Dickinson, 37, from Pleckgate in Blackburn, was at the barracks to welcome home fiancee Kingsman Liam Hamilton who proposed to her when he was in Afghanistan.

Rachel said: “He proposed to me about May time. It took six weeks for the post to arrive with the poem he had written as a proposal.

“I then had to wait for him to ring, which took a few days, before I could say yes.

“I will always remember the last line of the poem. It says, ‘being in Afghanistan has changed my life. Please do me the honour of being my wife’.

“It’s been pretty awful. I was so emotional when he came back.

“I just ran up to him as soon as I saw him. I am just relieved to have him back and very proud.”

Kingsman Hamilton, 30, who has a five-year-old daughter Mia with Rachel, said: “It is absolutely superb to be back.

“I was going to propose before I left, but I decided to do it in another way so she would always remember. It took me four days to write those five verses.”

He added: “When we were out on the ground it wasn’t too bad because you don’t think about your friends and family.

"But you think about them all the time when you have downtime.”

Ken and Jean Winterbourne, 62 and 64, from Blackburn, were waiting for their son Lance Corporal Alex Winterbourne.

Ken said: “I am just relieved. I am extremely pleased to have him back in one piece.”

Alex said: “I am looking forward to going to see Rovers.

“The lowest point was when I saw two of the lads killed.

"But you have to deal with it. I am just happy to see mum and dad.”

Tony Preston, 45, of Haslingden, was reunited with his son Kingsman Jordan Preston, 21.

Kingsman Preston was with Lance Corporal Jordan Bancroft, 25, from Earby, when he was killed in August.

Tony said: “When he would ring home I would know that he was okay but when he rang my mobile I knew he wanted to talk about things on my own.

“It is a relief that he is back but there is a mixture of emotions.”

Kingsman Preston said: “Jordan was a brilliant mate. I just hope that his family and girlfriend Lauren are all right.

“I am hoping to go and see Anthony Cooper and Jack Plant, who are both double amputees, and Tom Coleridge, who was shot in the side, who are recovering.

“I am just glad to be back.”

The soldiers began their tour of duty in April and were part of the largest battle group in Helmand province fighting Taliban insurgents, as well as working to win over local people in the Nad-e Ali area.

They recently led a successful mission to capture the former Taliban stronghold of Sayedebad in central Helmand.