THE bells will toll for the people of Wootton Bassett this weekend – as a further thank-you from the nation’s grateful forces.

The town has been honouring the nation’s fallen with repatriation ceremonies for more than a year.

And the sheer number of people prepared to turn out for each parade every time there is a repatriation has earned the town the thanks of the British forces, shown with a special parade and ceremony last month.

Now this weekend the town will be honoured further as bell ringers from all three services perform a quarter peal at St Bartholomew and All Saints Church on Saturday morning.

They will ring the bells in a sequence known as Grandsire Triples.

And that will mean the people of Wootton Bassett will be able to hear the bells ringing continuously for about an hour from 11am.

“The Quarter Peal is to say to thank you to the townsfolk and supporters of Wootton Bassett for their dedication in welcoming home and paying their respects to deceased personnel from all three services,” said Barry Sexton, the Army Guild’s secretary and treasurer who helped organised the event.

The ringers taking part are from all three of the Services Guilds – Navy, Army and RAF – making the event a Tri-Service Quarter Peal.

David Whipp, tower captain of St Bartholomew and All Saints, said: “When we received the phone call from Barry I thought it was a really nice gesture from the services.

“Events like this are a continuation of the mutual respect between the townspeople of Wootton Bassett and the wider services community.”