Armed Forces Day event to return to city centre

Events to mark Armed Forces Day will return to Bradford City centre this year, the council has confirmed.

Due to major work to pedestrianise parts of the city centre, last year's events were held in Shipley.

Events will begin with a flag raising service in City Park at the beginning of Armed Forces Week on 22 June.

The major event will be held on 28 June in Market Street from 11:00 BST and will begin with a drumhead service.

The plans were revealed at a meeting to discuss progress on Bradford's Armed Forces Covenant, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

It is a pledge by councils that "no one who serves or has served in the forces or their families should face disadvantage when accessing public and commercial services".

The meeting heard details of the various events held in the past year, as well as upcoming events like Armed Forced Week, which culminates in Armed Forces Day.

Bradford Council's Corporate Scrutiny Committee was told the free event on 28 June would include stalls offering family activities, along with exhibitors from across the area providing information on heritage and showcasing work to preserve the memory of those who have served.

Committee members were also told the past year had seen the unveiling of a Commonwealth War Memorial in the city centre.

The memorial was installed in the city's memorial gardens in November, and is the first Commonwealth Memorial outside of London.

Bradford-based charity SHAPE-UK Ltd spearheaded plans for the memorial, which honours the contributions and sacrifices of troops from Commonwealth nations who fought in both World War One and World War Two.

It lists the Commonwealth countries that fought in the two World Wars, along with symbols of their different religions.

Listen to highlights from West Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.