WANTAGE was ablaze with bearskins, bands and bayonets as the 1st Battalion Scots Guards were given the freedom of the town.

One hundred guardsmen and officers in full ceremonial uniform marched through the town on Saturday.

Crowds lined the streets from Newbury Street to the Market Place, to cheer on the soldiers.

Enjoying the spectacle was 99-year-old veteran Ernest Eltham, from Grove, with his wife, Gladys, 91.

Daughter Julie Carpenter said: “It was lovely, they both really loved it.

“My dad was in the Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry and served in Burma during the war, so he was very proud to see the servicemen.

“A soldier in front of us was wearing the infantry insignia, which my dad recognised.”

She added: “This was a really special occasion.”

The Wantage Silver Band started off the day’s proceedings with a performance of the Lockinge March, written in 1877 to celebrate the unveiling of the town’s King Alfred statue.

The Guards then presented arms to their Regimental Colonel, the Duke of Kent. Other dignitaries, including the Lord Lieutenant of Oxfordshire Tim Stevenson, watched the presentation of a scroll, granting the regiment the Freedom of Wantage.

Wantage mayor Charlotte Dickson said: “It was a fantastic day for Wantage. It was a great way to show our appreciation for all our servicemen and women. There was a lot of goodwill behind them.”

High Sheriff Penelope Glen said: “It was splendid. It was spectacular and so uplifting. There are so many tragic things happening in the world so it’s lovely to have a day like this.”

The crowds were then treated to a Royal Air Force flypast and a military freefall parachute display.

Former town councillor John Coates, 83, and his wife May were watching the Guards with members of their family. Mr Coates said: “The crowd around the square was at least four deep.

“I was surprised to see so many people.”

Commanding officer of the battalion Lieutenant Colonel Lincoln Jopp said: “It is a great honour to be awarded the freedom of Wantage. To see 96 of Scotland’s finest on parade in Wantage was a magnificent sight.

“I’m extremely proud of my men and enjoy opportunities such as this for the public to get up close and personal to hear of their experiences.

“We enjoy wonderful support from the Great British Public and I would like to thank, on behalf of the Scots Guards, the people of Oxfordshire and Wantage in particular, for cheering us on.”

The connection between the Scots Guards and Wantage dates back to Robert James Lloyd-Lindsay, the first and last Baron Wantage of Lockinge.

He was one of the first recipients of the Victoria Cross after his service in the Crimean War with the Scots Fusilier Guards.

He later became the MP for Wantage and was the driving force behind the creation of the British Red Cross.

His Victoria Cross was on display during the ceremony for the first time since his death in 1901.