A MILITARY veteran is calling for a modern day's Dad's Army to be created — to combat terrorism.

Ex corporal Malcolm Vickers believes former soldiers could use their "sharp eyes and sharp minds", particularly in the fight against extremists.

The 70-year-old got in touch with home secretary Theresa May to put forward to his plan but was told the government already had and an extremist task force and had no current plans to re-establish the Home Guard.

His grandfather, William Sidlow, was in the Home Guard and, having served in the army in the First World War, he was a perfect candidate for home territory defending.

Mr Vickers said: "He had been in the artillery and like a lot of the men in the Home Guard he had fought in the 1914 to 1918 war.

"These were men with lots of life still left in them like there is lots of life left in the war veterans of today."

Mr Vickers is a member of Westhoughton British Legion and fiercely proud of his army roots and the contribution many army veterans can make today, despite having put down a gun many years ago.

His maternal grandfather was in Westhoughton Home Guard and would have been involved in various activities locally along with many other World War One veterans who were either too old to fight or had medical impairments to fighting again in World War Two.

In his letter to Theresa May, Mr Vickers said a new Home Guard-style force could be deployed to public events to sniff out any potential threats.

He said he was in touch with about 17 veterans groups in Lancashire with more than 300 members in total.

He says he knows of about 100 local veterans who would be ideal for the modern version of Dad's Army.

Mr Vickers contacted Ms May after reading warnings in the press asking people to remain vigilant if visiting a shopping centre or anywhere else with a large gathering of people.

He said: "May I humbly suggest that you have at your disposal a source of protection in the defence of England that was very important in the Second World War.

"The veterans of England are a ready made body of men that although they are past their sell-by date for front-line duties, nevertheless retain their lessons, not only through shot and shell, but know which end is up in regard to spotting the bad guys."

In a reply to Mr Vickers, a Home Office spokesman said: "I would like to thank you for your suggestion, however, the government does not have any current plans to re-establish the Home Guard.

"The government takes the threat of terrorism and extremism very seriously.

"Extremism has no place in our society."

The Home Guard was originally called the Local Defence Volunteers, or LDV, and operated from 1940 until 1944 during World War Two.

There were 1.5 million volunteers in the Home Guard and these were men who were otherwise ineligible for military service (usually because of their age) which is why they were given the nickname Dad's Army.

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