Prince Charles donned the new badge as troops paraded

The 22nd (Cheshire) Regiment, the Staffordshire Regiment and the Worcestershire and Sherwood Foresters combined as the Mercian Regiment.

Prince Charles saw the unit established at a "re-badging" ceremony at Tamworth Castle, Staffordshire and presented service medals and commendations.

The new regiment's headquarters are now at Whittington Barracks, Staffordshire.

'Profound admiration'

In front of hundreds of current and former soldiers attending the event, Prince Charles, who is Colonel-in-Chief of the Cheshire Regiment and of the Mercians, replaced his cap badge at the same time as the parading soldiers.

THE MERCIAN REGIMENT 1st Battalion (Cheshires), the Mercian Regiment 2nd Battalion (Worcesters and Foresters), the Mercian Regiment 3rd Battalion (Staffords), the Mercian Regiment 4th Battalion (West Midlands), the Mercian Regiment

He said: "I have no doubt that the Mercian Regiment will stand firm and strike hard just as its predecessor regiments did in all four corners of the world.

"The Mercian Regiment is being born in an era when the British Army is displaying daily the very best qualities of bravery, loyalty and dogged perseverance in the most impossible and dangerous circumstances.

"I have nothing but the most profound admiration for the sheer resilience being displayed by all our people on operations."

Changing roles

The Worcestershire and Sherwood Foresters also performed a similar ceremony in Lashkar Gar, Afghanistan, where they are currently serving.

The old units became 1st Battalion (Cheshires), the Mercian Regiment; 2nd Battalion (Worcesters and Foresters), the Mercian Regiment; and 3rd Battalion (Staffords), the Mercian Regiment.

The 22nd Cheshire Regiment now form part of the new unit

The Territorial Army's West Midlands Regiment became 4th Battalion, the Mercian Regiment.

The merger is part of the Future Infantry Structure, announced by the Ministry of Defence in December 2004.

It decided that the Arms Plot system - where regiments moved from one posting to another at regular intervals - was to end.

Instead, infantry battalions will have fixed garrisons within the UK.

They will also take on permanent status as either light, armoured or mechanised units instead of regularly changing roles.