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Remembrance Sunday parades are facing an uncertain future in many parts of the country because police forces are no longer sending officers to help marshal road closures.

One of the UK's biggest remembrance parades in Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire, is among those to face being axed because of a lack of officers to help enforce road closures.

The local Royal British Legion has been left trying to raise £800 to pay a private firm to provide marshals to line the route of the parade on November 12 that is attended by 10,000 people.

But parades in other parts of the country have also seen support withdrawn with West Midlands Police reportedly pulling support for dozens of events.

Has your Remembrance Sunday parade been impacted by police cuts? Contact the Mirror Online by emailing toby.meyjes@trinitymirror.com

(Image: PA)

A parade in Mapperley, that has been supported by Nottinghamshire Police officers in the past, is also among those to have been told that no officers will attend in that capacity this year.

The forces concerned blamed stretched resources for their inability to police the events.

Leicestershire Police has around 500 fewer officers than it did eight years ago, while the number of officers across England and Wales fell by more than 21,500 between 2009 and 2016.

Chief Superintendent Andy Lee wrote to RBL branches in his force area to say it could not provide marshals and respond to incidents elsewhere in the country.

Jock Bryson, 82, who organises the poppy appeal for the town, told the Mirror Online: "The people in Melton are really uptight about it.

"We have been doing parades in this area from 1919.

"I have been here nearly 60 years and we have not missed a parade yet.

"How could we police the parade for all those years, then all of a sudden as we come up to the 100th anniversary say we can't do it?

"Why did those people go and risk their lives for us?"

Tory MP Sir Alan Duncan, who represents Rutland and Melton, said he has sympathy with the police but said the legion should have been given more time to raise the funds,

He added: "What annoys me is the stupid bureaucracy involved. Once you bounce something over to a civilian organisation this bureaucracy tells them they have to do certain things and most of them are totally unnecessary.

(Image: Getty)

"Why can't the council just shut the road and allow enlightened amateurs wearing yellow jackets to supervise it all and no one would then have to pay anything."

Organisers of the Mapperley parade told the Mail on Sunday they were "gobsmacked" when police told them they will not marshal traffic there this year.

Frank Mullen, 80, who served in the Royal Signals, said: "It is ridiculous. It is going to be cancelled because the police can’t be there and we can’t by law stop traffic.

"We are one of the richest countries and they can’t even afford three or four police officers for an hour’s work."

Chief Superintendent Lee said budget cuts and a reduction in officer number means the force has to ensure officers are deployed "where the operational risk is greatest".

Chief Superintendent Kenny Bell from Birmingham East Neighbourhood Policing Unit said the force was committed to supporting and attending Armistice and Remembrance Day parades across the force area.

Nottinghamshire Police said that over 40 parades took place across the county last year which had little or no formal traffic management arrangements meaning a high number of officers were required to assist in policing those parades.

A spokesman said: "Unfortunately, this is something we simply cannot sustain whilst attempting to support events."

Each force pointed out that the responsibility for road closures lies with local authorities.

A Local Government Association spokesman said: “Councils will always work closely with organisers to ensure that parades can go ahead, and where possible provide support such as waiving fees for temporarily closing roads and providing street signage, and facilitate Remembrance services without charge.”