VETERANS of recent conflicts such as Iraq and Afghanistan can join a new group that will decide how a council will look after servicemen and women and their families.

Blackburn with Darwen Council recently signed the Armed Forces Community Covenant, which aims to protect service personnel and their families.

Other public sector organisations such as the police and the NHS, and organisations such as Blackburn College have also signed the pledge.

Now, veterans are being sought to sit on a steering group to shape what the signatories will do to help.

Blackburn with Darwen Council’s Armed Forces champion Coun Trevor Maxfield said: “Now it has been signed we need to decide what to do with the covenant.

As veterans, they would be best placed to help make those decisions.”