HUNDREDS of people have welcomed one of Hampshire's finest military regiments at a parade marking its 300th anniversary.

Today around 250 troops from the King's Royal Hussars marched through Winchester, one of the county's military heartlands.

Crowds lined the streets to applaud the soldiers, who paraded the High Street in their distinctive red trousers.

Onlookers jostled with cameras and phones to capture the historic march, commemorating 300 years since the regiment's formation to combat the Jacobite Rebellion.

The Hussars were awarded the Freedom of Winchester in 2005 and last marched through the city in 2012 after a tour of Afghanistan.

It was a special homecoming for young trooper Tom Pearce, who grew up in the nearby Worthy Down army camp and trained at Sir John Moore Barracks.

The 23-year-old, who joined the regiment two years ago, hopes the pageant might inspire others to join the forces.

He said: "I've spent a lot of my life around here - it's nice for the regiment to get a visual presence.

"We're quite distinctive with our trousers and stuff like that, so the flair of the cavalry might draw a few people in!"

The parade ended at Winchester Guildhall, where soldiers were received by dignitaries including Hampshire Lord Lieutenant Nigel Atkinson and Cllr Angela Clear, Mayor of Winchester.

Speaking from the Guildhall balcony, General Sir Richard Shirreff thanked the city which he described as the Hussars'"regimental heartland."

He said: "We are the latest of successive generations to draw inspiration from those who fought before us in almost every campaign fought by the British Army in the last 300 years."

He told crowds and Winchester dignitaries: "You only have to call on us and our tanks and we are at your service."