Staff at Marlborough College are unable to show their support to the armed forces today having been told they cannot attend the military parade taking place in the High Street.

From 11am the town will welcome soldiers from the 4 Military Intelligence Battalion (4MI Bn) back from Afghanistan but college staff have been told they cannot use their breaks to go and watch the event which starts at the gates of the school.

A memo was sent to employees last week which said attendance would cause too much disruption to the working of the college, despite staff being allowed to go to the parade when the battalion was given the Freedom of Entry in 2011.

A member of staff said: “We’ve been told that we can’t even go out during our break even though we said we would make the hours up.

“When they were given the freedom of the town we watched the parade for 20 minutes during our breaks and did 30 minutes extra to make up for it, but this time we’re not even allowed to watch it from the college.

“If a member of your family is involved in the parade you can go, but you have to prove they are related to you.

“I was shocked when I saw the memo because I had already decided to go and I’ve spoken to a lot of other people who are disappointed that they can’t go too. I was upset because I’m a big supporter of the troops.
“If we decided to go we’ll probably be given a written warning and there’s even been talk that we’d be made redundant.”

Master of the college John Leigh would only say that it was ‘just a normal working day for the college’.

During the parade 80 soldiers of 45 Company, 4MI Bn, who have recently returned from a six month deployment in Afghanistan, will receive their operational medals and will be joined by more than 100 fellow soldiers.

Medals will be presented by the Chief of the Defence Staff, General Sir Nicholas Houghton, the Colonel Commandant of the Intelligence Corps and mayor Guy Loosmore.

The town has been busy preparing for the parade which will see a Chinook helicopter fly past and The Band of the Grenadier Guards play.

Sgt Barry Read, of Marlborough police, said: “As with all military events we are there to facilitate, so a lot of the work for us is going on in the background making sure things like road closures are in place and making sure people know where to go.”

Parade timetable

10am: Soldiers’ families will start to arrive in the High Street

10.15am: VIPs will start to arrive and will be greeted in the Court Room by the mayor

10.35am: Parade leaves Marlborough College Gate

10.35am-10.50am: Parade Marches through town and is positioned near Waitrose

11am: Medals parade commences. Chief of the Defence staff, General Sir Nicholas Houghton, gives address. Chinooks fly past

11.45am: Parade heads back to the college

11.45am-1.30pm: Reception for VIPs, councillors, members of Operation Herrick 18 and their families

1pm: Roads reopen

FOLLOW OUR LIVE BLOG FROM THE PARADE FROM 10AM