Troops heading for Afghanistan have been handed beanie hats after a push by an army of local knitters.
Around 700 items were handed over to the 3rd Battalion the Mercian Regiment (The Staffords) ahead of their training and deployment overseas.
The hats make their kevlar helmets more comfortable in the harsh conditions of Afghanistan.
Local MP Christopher Pincher, who put the call out for locals to contribute, joined knitters for a handover at the Staffordshire Regiment Museum in Whittington.
“I want to thank all of the knitters who have put in so much of their time, effort and money to do their bit before the troops begin their tour in Afghanistan,” said Mr Pincher. “We have received hats from all over the county – one even came from the US.
“It goes to show the profound respect and regard in which local people hold our brave soldiers. Thanks to the efforts of our tremendous knitters we managed to beat our target of 700 hats ensuring that each soldier on deployment to theatre will get a beanie.”
