CUMBRIANS are being called on to join forces with soldiers and local politicians to save the county's historic King's Own Royal Border Regiment.

Defence Secretary Geoff Hoon announced several weeks ago that there was to be a large-scale shake up of the armed forces to help them meet the requirements of modern warfare. Now, it is feared that the Cumbrian regiment may be affected by the restructuring and could be amalgamated with other North West regiments such as the Queen's Lancashire and The Royal Cheshire.

But former KORBR soldiers are outraged at the idea and say they will fight them to the doors of the Ministry of Defence.

The KORBR Associ-ation and South Lakeland District Council have launched a petition, urging the government to make cuts elsewhere, which will eventually be presented to the Ministry of Defence.

Kendal branch chairman and secretary Brian Coulter, who served with the regiment's predecessor, The Border Regiment, at the D-Day landings, said that the KORBR was a part of Cumbrian life.

He said: "When boys join the army from round here, they want to join a local regiment. We have pride in the KORBR, which has seen service all over the world. I thought it was dreadful when I heard the announcement - we don't have enough troops as it is."

Kendal man Ron Thompson joined the Border Regiment in 1944 before its 1959 amalgamation with the King's Royal Lancaster Regiment to form the KORBR. He said that he felt the regiment had seen enough changes.

Mr Thompson said: "What we are trying to do is to save the regiment for the local lads. We amalgamated in 1959 so I don't see why we should have to change again."

This feeling was echoed by KORBR regimental spokesman Major Michael Brandwood. He said: "We have been touched like this in the past and we feel it is the turn of other regiments to be amalgamated. We urge people to register their feelings about this, we cannot stress this enough."

Members of SLDC also voted to keep a copy of the KORBR petition for the public to sign in Kendal Town Hall.

Former Kendal Mayor and SLDC chairman Jean Ewing said she believed the regiment would be sorely missed.

She said: "When I was Mayor in 1998, I had to present campaign medals to the regiment and I was amazed by the number of people who turned out in the street. There is a lot of affection for the KORBR in the area."

A Ministry of Defence spokesman said it was as yet "too early to discuss the issue" of which regiments would be affected, and of redundancies. But he said that the MoD was looking to make changes in the North West along with other parts of England.

A copy of the SLDC/ KORBR petition can be signed at Kendal Town Hall.

Meanwhile, soldiers from the First Battalion, King's Own Royal Border Regiment, have travelled to Gibraltar to take part in a key ceremony during the colony's 300th anniversary celebrations.

The regiment, which was present at the capture of the Rock in 1704, was honoured by an invitation to take part in the Guard Mounting Ceremony at the Convent, the residence of Governor, Sir Francis Richards.

An officer, sergeant and five other soldiers flew out to take part in the ceremony in front of Sir Francis, Chief Minister Peter Caruana and specially invited guests, including four other governors.

Thousands watched the ceremony in which soldiers of the Royal Gibraltar Regiment handed over the guarding of the Convent to the KORBR.