WAR veterans in Darwen wishing to attend a special ball being held in support of Armed Forces Day can take advantage of free tickets being offered by the town council.

The ball, at King George’s Hall, Blackburn, in June, will be open to all military veterans and their partners, with tickets costing £25 each.

But Darwen Town Council has offered that for any veteran who buys a ticket for their partner, the council will put in the cash for their ticket.

It comes a year after the council put on a special dinner at Astley Bank where veterans were given the freedom of the town.

Town council deputy chairman Trevor Maxfield said: “If any veteran is prepared to buy their partner a ticket, we will match-fund to pay for their own. The partner can be anything from a husband or wife to a sibling, child or carer.

“We just want to give something back to the veteran community in the town who have done so much for us over the years.”

The event takes place on June 28 and has been organised by Blackburn with Darwen Council.

Coun Maxfield, who is also the borough council’s armed forces and veterans champion, said: “I welcome all veterans to this evening event.

“This is a fantastic opportunity for the council to really celebrate the work of the armed forces, while remembering the sacrifices made by armed forces personnel and their families.

“Last year’s Armed Forces Day saw the council sign the Military Covenant.

“Within this we pledged to support our military families and this event shows our commitment to the covenant and our lasting commitment to our armed forces.”