Returning Armed Forces personnel were welcomed back to Buckinghamshire during a special reception last week.

Bucks County Council chairman Bill Chapple OBE hosted the tenth 'welcome home' reception for RAF, Army and Royal Navy personnel who have been on tours of duty overseas, on Wednesday.

Before speaking to returning service personnel in Aylesbury, Cllr Chapple led the 70 civic and services guests from across the county, including Wycombe superintendent Ed McLean and RAF station commander, Philip Lester, in a minute’s silence to mark Holocaust Memorial Day.

Speaking to returning service personnel, he said: “We are extremely proud of the service you have given and continue to give on behalf of our country.

“You are very important and we are most grateful for all that you are doing.”

The chairman spoke of the nationally-acclaimed work in Buckinghamshire over the past four years through the Armed Forces Community Covenant, which has secured around £450,000 in MoD grant funding.

He said: “Our work is viewed as best practice nationally.

“Not only have we secured a large amount of funding, but we've also successfully delivered projects that have improved the lives of services families while they are living and working in Buckinghamshire.”