AN ARMY veteran from the region who was medically retired following a parachute accident was among 30 people to present the first official poppy of the year to the Prime Minister today (Thursday, October 22).

Alex Noble joined his wife Linda, a serving soldier, and their two children Michael, ten and James, five, to launch the Royal British Legion's 2015 poppy appeal.

Also taking part in the procession in London was Private Harmeet Singh, 25, from Middlesbrough, a healthcare assistant with Queen Alexandra's Royal Army Nursing Corps, who has raised funds for the legion after collecting donations for Sikh poppies in his regiment.

Another 30 serving military personnel, veterans and their families took part in the Poppy Parade, from the Legion's headquarters to see David Cameron in Downing Street.

Corporal Linda Noble, 32 from Catterick, North Yorkshire had earlier been handed the first official poppy by British Legion president, Vice Admiral Peter Wilkinson, at the charity’s headquarters in Borough, London, before setting off on a two-mile parade to Downing Street.

Cpl Noble served in the army for more than 15 years, initially with the Royal Gibraltar Regiment.

She has been in the Army Training Centre for the past eight years and in 2008 completed a tour of Afghanistan.

She said: "It's been a fantastic day. It was an absolute honour to be involved with the Poppy Parade and the whole day was better than I ever could have imagined."

Husband Alex Noble was medically discharged from the Army after he was injured in a parachute accident. He contacted The Royal British Legion in 2013 and has received support from its independent living team.

Today's procession paraded across Lambeth Bridge, past the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben, up Whitehall to the Cenotaph and into Downing Street.

Last year the Poppy Appeal raised a record £45 million, which helped The Royal British Legion deliver welfare support including funding research into blast injury studies, specialist dementia care, funding theatre recovery projects and answering over 450,000 calls for help.

Mr Cameron said: "By wearing a poppy we are not only showing our gratitude for all that they do to keep us safe, but we are also making a vital contribution to the important work that the Royal British Legion does to support the armed forces community.”

350,000 Legion collectors will distribute over 45 million poppies during this year’s Poppy Appeal.