Soldiers from Keighley district have taken part in a parade to receive and display their new regimental colours.

Second Lieutenant Jaymes Smirthwaite carried the new colour flag for the 4th Battalion of the Yorkshire Regiment when he and his colleagues paraded with three other battalions at Imphal Barrack, in York, last Friday.

The colours were presented by the Duke of York.

Jaymes, a police officer from Oakworth, was also in the parade through York on Saturday when 1,000 of the regiment’s soldiers marched to York Minster for a service of blessing.

Also taking part in the march were lance corporals Jonathan Parker and Daniel Gilbert, both of 1st Battalion the Yorkshire Regiment.

Lance Corporal Parker, 22, from Riddlesden, has been in the army for four years and completed tours to Iraq in 2006 and 2008.

He was educated at Ilkley Grammar School.

Lance Corporal Gilbert, 24, is from Braithwaite and was a pupil at Holy Family Catholic School.

He has been in the army for eight years and has served in Bosnia and also in Iraq. Both men said colour parades only happened about once every 20 to 25 years, so it felt special to be able to participate.

The colours flags and accompanying belts represent the different battalions’ histories and key battle honours are emblazoned on them.

Historically they served as highly visible rallying points for soldiers on the battlefield.

Lieutenant Colonel Paul Simpson, the Yorkshire Regiment spokesman, said: “Having four new sets of colours at the same time is a very rare event.”