A PLEDGE to support more than 7,000 members of Denbighshire's armed forces community has been reaffirmed.

Denbighshire County Council has re-signed an Armed Forces Covenant, setting out how the local authority and partner organisations will ensure members of the armed forces community continue to have the same access to government and commercial services as any other citizen.

More than 7,000 veterans living in the county - about 9 percent of the population.The original Covenant has now been replaced with individual organisations signing their own.

Cllr Richard Mainon, the council’s armed forces champion, said: “I’m proud we have been able to reaffirm the commitments offered to armed forces veterans and their families by signing the Armed Forces Covenant in our own right.

“We actively support and engage with our armed forces community within Denbighshire and the timing felt right to renew our commitment to ensuring veterans and their families are not disadvantaged in any way for serving.

"Being able to identify the opportunities to help those who are often too proud to ask for help runs right through our council services.”