VETERANS turning out for the remembrance service at the Cenotaph in Swindon won't have to worry about getting home afterwards because the town's taxi drivers are standing by to give them a free lift.

The Royal British Legion traditionally co-ordinates free rides to the event, but now the drivers want to make sure the ex-servicemen and women, many of them elderly and with health issues, get home safely too.

Andrew Lucas and John Stocker of the Swindon Taxi Association have organised the gesture.

“We should be honouring the veterans who have given so much," said Andrew, who used to be a driver in the army.

“As the secretary, I think it’s important for the trade to put something back into the community and as an ex-serviceman I think this is something we do every year.”

“Last year It was a nice occasion, it was nice to be there and when you pulled in and saw them all in their uniform and medals it’s very humbling.”

The get-you-home service was started last year and Andrew is hoping he and his colleagues will keep going in the years to come.

“This kind of thing has been done in London for quite a long time and I always thought it was a nice gesture, but it has never been done in Swindon.

“We did it last year for the first time and it was quite well received by the British Legion. We thought it would be a good thing from the taxi trade as a mark of respect because quite a few of us are ex-servicemen.”

“We want this to keep going for as long as we can,” he added: “So long as we can get the volunteers and the taxis, we will keep doing this.

“There’s only so many times you can run free taxis, and this is the one occasion where it’s marking something special and honouring veterans.”

Around10 taxis and the drivers will be available at the rank in Regent Circus between 11.45pm and 12.45pm and will drop veterans off anywhere in Swindon.

Alongside regular taxis, Andrew is confident the team will be able to help those with mobility problems. He said: “We’ve got a number of wheelchair-accessible taxis and some of the more elderly veterans may have difficulty getting there and back so we’ll be there to help.”

The service at the Cenotaph is 11am on Sunday. The parade will start to form up from 10 am.