YORKSHIRE'S three army regiments held a joint dinner for the first time as a prelude to becoming battalions of the new Yorkshire Regiment next year.

The Green Howards, the Prince of Wales's Own Yorkshire Regiment and the Duke of Wellington's Regiment dined at the regimental headquarters of the Green Howards in Richmond.

The event was hosted by Green Howards Colonel of the Regiment, Brig John Powell and guests included Colonel of the Prince of Wales's Own, Maj Gen Alastair Duncan, and Gen Sir Evelyn Webb-Carter, Colonel of the Duke of Wellington's Regiment.

Also in attendance was the Colonel Commandant of the King's Division and Commander in Chief, land, designate, Gen Sir Richard Dannatt, a former Colonel of the Regiment for the Green Howards, the Assistant Chief of the Defence Staff (Operations), Maj Gen Nick Hough-ton, and the Commander of 15 (NE) Brigade, Brig Richard Dennis.

Other guests included representatives from the Territorial Army in Yorkshire and Leeds University Officer Training Corps. The commanding officers of the three serving battalions and the regimental secretaries were also present.

Brig Powell said: "There has never been a dinner for all three of the Yorkshire regiments before and the Green Howards were very pleased to be able to host this event.

"We have already established a very good working relationship as the result of our successful campaign to ensure that we become a single regiment for Yorkshire, maintaining our traditions and ethos as three battalions. Now we are looking forward to shaping the new regiment to be even better than the sum of the three former regiments.

"We all drank the toast to the future Yorkshire Regiment with enthusiasm and the evening was a very good way of cementing our relationships."