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December 9, 2004updated 22 Nov 2022 12:34pm

Victory on two fronts for Post and regiment

By Press Gazette

The Lancashire Evening Post scored a scoop on the future of Britain’s army regiments -and a victory in its campaign to save the Queen’s Lancashire Regiment.

The paper’s Westminster reporter Anne Alexander received a tip-off that the north west’s three army regiments were to be merged and based in Preston under the name the Royal Lancashire Regiment.

The LEP said it splashed the story even before the Cabinet had been officially told about it.

The decision marked the end of a five-month campaign by the paper, launched on the day in July when defence secretary Geoff Hoon announced his review of the British Army.

LEP political reporter Richard Newton spearheaded the Save the Queen’s Lancashire Regiment campaign.

This won the support of politicians, old soldiers and thousands of readers.

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More than 15,000 people signed petitions supporting the campaign.

The aim of the campaign was twofold: firstly to ensure that if the QLR was scrapped, its replacement would be based in Preston rather than Liverpool, Manchester or Carlisle; and secondly to ensure the Lancashire name lived on in the regiment’s title.

Evening Post editor Simon Reynolds said: “We are proud to have played our part in saving Lancashire’s regiment.”

He added: “It is great news for Preston, Lancashire and the country as a whole that the county’s name will live on for future generations.”

Email pged@pressgazette.co.uk to point out mistakes, provide story tips or send in a letter for publication on our "Letters Page" blog

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