THE Minister of State for Defence joined veterans and councillors to officially open the Bolton Armed Forces Centre in memory of a soldier who died from injuries suffered in Afghanistan.

The Rt Hon the Earl Howe arrived to meet Cllr Martin Donaghy and council leader Cllr Cliff Morris to officially launch the centre.

Before unveiling the plaque, Lord Howe gave a speech about the creation of the veterans’ service and a tribute to Darren Deady, who lost his life in 2010 after succumbing to injuries he received in Afghanistan.

Lord Howe, who is also deputy leader of the House of Lords, said: “It’s a great pleasure and could I just say how honoured I feel to be asked to do this.

“I hope it will inspire other communities up and down the country to follow suit pulling together to make sure our armed forces family, of which Darren’s family remains a part, that they receive the care and advice they have earned through their service for the nation.”

Mr Deady, Lancashire Regiment, was injured in the Nahr-e Saraj District of Helmand Province on August 23. He died at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, in Birmingham, on September 10, aged 22.

Lord Howe said: “I know from reading his CV that he was a selfless and inspiring young man who represented the very, very best of what our armed forces stand for.

“Darren joined his local infantry regiment because in his own words, he wanted to make a difference.

“He did just that, serving with loyalty, humour and steadfast bravery and I know that he inspired his comrades in the process and ultimately he gave his life for his country.

“Although he is no longer with us, his memory will live on.”

The centre is the brainchild of Cllr Donaghy, having pledged to open it during his term as mayor in 2015.

The hub allows veterans from the Bolton area to meet, engage and seek support.

He said: “I want to pay tribute to the volunteers of this centre who have worked extremely hard in providing a service.

“We have some work to do. We have to get our computers and various other things sorted out but not withstanding that we have still helped hundreds of people here at Bolton Armed Forces Centre.

“I’m very pleased we have got a centre like this in Bolton and I would like to pay tribute to Bolton Council for making this building available to us.

“That again is an indication of the commitment the council has to the Armed Forces Covenant. So we are all very excited about today’s opening.”