AN ex-serviceman from East Lancashire has joined the battle to save the county's last remaining regiment.

And Dave Elliott has taken the fight to save the Queen's Lancashire Regiment on to the streets by collecting more than 4,000 signatures.

Dave, who lives in Mizpah Street, Burnley, served in the Lancashire Regiment Prince of Wales Volunteers, and is now press officer for the Burnley and Pendle branch of the QLR.

The 62-year-old joined the fourth battalion of the East Lancashire Territorial Army in 1960.

A year later he joined the volunteers serving in Cyprus, Germany and Swaziland until leaving in 1967.

And Dave who was a chef for the officers' mess from 1963 said he hoped the response of people will persuade the Government to change its mind about plans to modernise the structure of the armed forces, which could include a scheme to merge the QLR with other regiments.

He said: "I am fiercely proud of the regiment and we want to keep the regimental family together.

"Once the Lancashire rose goes, all the heritage and tradition will die.

"I was in Burnley last week outside Woolworths and people were queuing up to sign the petition.

"Everybody was behind the campaign saying we should keep the heritage.

"People were astounded at what they were doing."

After leaving the army, Dave worked as a chef at the Rosehill House Hotel until 1979 then at dyecasters Thomas Ashworths.

And he has given his backing to the Lancashire Evening Telegraph's campaign which has so far raised attracted more than 1,700 pledges of support from people across East Lancashire.

He has also called on those who have not signed a petition yet to do so.

He said: "It is a very good idea as it is making a lot of people aware of what is happening."