A DECISION to confirm whether to give the Royal Engineers the Freedom of Medway will be voted on this week.

Councillors are holding a special meeting on Thursday to discuss conferring the honorary freedom of the borough for the Corps of Royal Engineers.

The meeting, at the Gillingham Municipal Buildings at 7pm, follows a decision by a recent full council meeting to grant the honour.

Councillors on all sides spoke of the service, commitment and sacrifice being made by locally-based armed forces on peace-keeping roles across the world.

The Sappers would be the first to be awarded the honour, the highest Medway can give.

But they already hold, from previous authorities, the right to march through the towns with bayonets fixed and drums beating.