Mercury marchers win applause as they trek to aid injured soldiers

CITY shoppers stopped and applauded as soldiers raising money on a charity march paraded past the Guildhall.

Mercury's March, organised by the Army and supported by charity Help For Heroes, began on Monday in Plymouth and passed through the centre of Exeter and Honiton yesterday.

Around 30 soldiers from all over the country are split into teams marching in shifts, carrying a stretcher symbolising service personnel injured in Iraq and Afghanistan.

They are raising money to support the continuing care for those who are injured in service. By Saturday, they hope to have reached London, which will involve a journey of 300 miles in five days.

LO Alec Purdie, 23, took part in the march from South Brent to Wyvern Barracks in Exeter.

He said: "Our sergeant organised the march, which is how I got involved.

"I've been in the Army for six years and have been to Iraq twice and Afghanistan once.

"On my first tour of Iraq, I had a friend injured but it is part of the job. We are all doing this to raise some money for injured soldiers and awareness of them, too."

Sergeant David Dowson, 36, who has served in Iraq twice, said he had been amazed by people's generosity.

He said: "When we were at a petrol station on the A38 just outside Exeter a man saw us and realising he had no money, he drove into the city to find a cash point and did a huge loop to come and find us again and donated £20. It was really fantastic. We could not believe he did that, especially at 4am."

Lord Mayor Paul Smith stood outside the Guildhall to watch the soldiers who began their leg from Exeter. He then welcomed the team who had started at 3am at South Brent and finished in the city.

He said: "The march is tremendous. This reminds us that we are not removed from world events and that they are real for these individuals and anything we can do to help them is great.

"Sometimes on the news it doesn't seem like real life and this brings it home that it is and that real people are affected."

Pamela Sampson, 62, from Exminster, watched the march go by and donated some money to the charity.

She said: "My son Daryl is in Afghanistan at the moment, 10 miles from Camp Bastion.

"I heard they were doing a walk-past in Exeter and I am pleased they are raising money for injured soldiers as I don't think the Government is doing enough.

"The Americans have hospitals geared up for their injured troops but we have hardly anything."

Sergeant Paul Roberts organised the march as he said he wanted to do something for injured troops.

He said: "I wanted to do something for the people serving in Iraq and Afghanistan.

"I have served in the Balkans but that is nothing compared to what the soldiers have been through in the Middle East.

"I was going to do one of the existing marches but thought I would raise more awareness on my own.

"Then I looked at Help For Heroes and thought the two would logically go together.

"Help For Heroes has raised a lot of money in a short time and, in my opinion, has raised awareness of what we are doing out there. I think it is changing people's opinions about the work we are doing."

The march continued through Devon, passing into Honiton where it was met by Deputy Mayor Vivienne Ash. It will then continue on to Dorchester, Blandford, Southampton, Guildford and Leatherhead before reaching the Tower of London.

The route being taken is the old Admiralty Shutter Telegraph route used more than 200 years ago during the Napoleonic War.