Soldiers remembered their friend and comrade Lance Corporal Jamie Webb on a homecoming parade.

Hundreds of supporters braved persistent rain to wave flags and cheer on 150 soldiers from the 1st Battalion The Mercian Regiment (Cheshire) who have returned from a six-month tour in central Helmand Province in Afghanistan.

Colleagues of Jamie Webb, from Handforth, paid tribute to their friend who died in March just weeks before he was due home.

The battalion had been working with the Afghan National Security Forces in the Nadi Ali district.

Lance Corporal Webb, a former Wilmslow High School pupil, was 24 when he died during the operation from wounds sustained in a Taliban attack.

More than 1,000 people including parents Dave and Sue, brother Luke and sister Angie attended the funeral at St Chad’s Church in Handforth.

Dad Dave told the congregation his son was the ‘life and soul of the party’ and loved to joke – something echoed by soldiers at the parade.

Friend and colleague private James Smith, 27, from Stockport, said Jamie was in everyone’s thoughts during the parade through Macclesfield last Wednesday.

He said: “I had the pleasure of working with Jamie.

“He would have been proud to see everyone here today, and he would have been having a right laugh with everyone, he was always the joker.

“We are all thinking about him today. Jamie was my friend as well as my colleague and was always there for you.

“We will never forget him.”

Lieutenant Colonel Philip Kimber, commanding officer for the battalion, echoed the tribute to Jamie.

He said: “Jamie was coming to the end of his tour and is in everyone’s thoughts.

“We know we have support but it’s parades like this which make the lads realise how much support there is.

“When they step off to march you can see them grow an inch.

“We are a family regiment.  The communities we draw soldiers from are vitally important.

“In Nadi Ali we’ve been training Afghan police and Afghan army and supporting them when they get into fights and need help.

“During our tour we made significant campaign progress and handed lead security responsibility to the Afghan National Security Force.

“I’m extremely proud of my soldiers.”  The Band of the Royal Logistics Corp led the march to Macclesfield town hall where troops saluted the town’s mayor Councillor Lloyd Roberts.

Fifteen  soldiers received medals to mark their first tour in Afghanistan.

The visit was part of a five-day tour of Cheshire towns for the 400-strong battalion.

It was likely to be the last deployment to Afghanistan by the light role infantry unit, which is based in Catterick, North Yorkshire.

Armed forces veteran Marshall McDermott, 73,  attended

the homecoming parade.

He said:  “I feel a connection after being a sergeant in the Cheshire Regiment, based in Malaya in 1957.

“I always turn out to see the soldiers.

“It’s important that we support them.”

Friends Ann Coyne, 73, and Marion Parry, 72, both of Queens Avenue, watched from Market Place.

Ann said:  “I’m very patriotic and have friends whose sons are in the regiment – you have to come out and show your support.”

Marion said:  “We live in a free country and these lads are fighting for us.

“We must always turn out for our soldiers.”