COLCHESTER should be enormously proud of its history and what it has to give, according to the Shadow Defence Minister.

Jim Murphy visited Colchester Garrison and 16 Air Assault Brigade.

He spoke out about defence cuts, Army housing, treatment of injured soldiers and the war in Afghanistan.

Mr Murphy, Labour MP for East Renfrewshire, said: “Hundreds of Afghan villages are better and safer because of the town of Colchester.

“You look around the world and very few other towns have helped to change Afghanistan the way Colchester has.

“Colchester has such an enormously proud history because of its contribution through the decades and it is not just about what has been done, but also about what is still ahead.”