A WAR veteran from Bolton has become the 20,000th recipient of a lottery scheme to help heroes return to the battlefields they fought on.

Jim Ratcliffe is among a group of 20 veterans and their families from Bolton and District Normandy Veterans Association who will be travelling to France on a pilgrimage in March.

Many of the coach party took part in the 60th anniversary celebrations of D-Day last year.

It was a trip which nearly did not happen after the hotel they had booked three years earlier, burned down just three weeks before the anniversary.

French families in Caen rallied round and put them up in their own homes.

"It was only thanks to the kindness of local people in Caen that members of our Normandy Veterans Association branch were accommodated in the town and were able to be present for the ceremonies," said Mr Ratcliffe.

The group visiting this year plans to thank them by throwing a party during this year's stay in Ouistreham.

As part of the tour in March the Bolton veterans will be visiting the landing beaches of Sword Juno and Gold as well as American, German, Canadian and British cemeteries.

The trip also includes a visit to the famous Pegasus Bridge as well as time for shopping and a stop at a Calvados distillery. Mr Ratcliffe, aged 82, has been a regular visitor to France since the end of the Second world war, travelling to the battlefields a total of 16 times.

Mr Ratcliffe, chairman of the local veterans' association said: "Heroes Return is an excellent use of lottery money."

The £10 million Heroes Return scheme was launched 12 months ago to ensure every veteran who wished to could revisit the scene of their wartime service.

But time is now running out for any veteran who wants to make use of the scheme as the last date for submitting an application for a grant is March 31. For more information contact the Heroes Return hotline on 0845 410 2030.