SEVERAL of the county’s top dignitaries will join together to mark the start of Armed Forces week.

Hampshire County Council will be flying the Armed Forces Flag from Monday, June 24, to mark the beginning of the nationally celebrated week and honour the county’s Armed Forces community.

A ceremony will take place outside the Great Hall in Winchester, in which the Armed Forces Flag will be raised.

It will be attended by HM Lord-Lieutenant of Hampshire, Nigel Atkinson Esq.; Leader of Hampshire County Council, Councillor Keith Mans; Chairman of Hampshire County Council, Councillor Charles Choudhary; the Mayor of Winchester, Councillor Eleanor Bell and the County Council’s Armed Forces Champion, Councillor Andrew Joy.

Personnel from the Royal Navy, Army and Royal Air Force will also be taking part in the ceremony.

The flag will be flown until sunset on Sunday 30 June.

The Lord-Lieutenant said: “I look forward to welcoming a contingent of our serving personnel to Winchester for the annual Flag Raising Ceremony.

“This is a demonstration of Hampshire’s strong commitment to the Armed Forces community and I hope the public will show their support.”

Hampshire County Council’s Armed Forces Champion, Councillor Andrew Joy, added: “We place enormous value on our close relationship with our military services, and the raising of the Armed Forces Flag in Winchester is a display of our unwavering support for our Armed Forces communities.”

Members of the public are invited to begin assembling outside the Great Hall in Winchester from 12.30pm.

The ceremony will start at 12.45pm and will involve the blessing of the Armed Forces flag by the Very Reverend Catherine Ogle, Dean of Winchester, before it is raised on the flagpole.