RELIEF and optimism greeted news that the Green Howards regiment had escaped relatively unscathed from one of the biggest defence shake-ups in decades.

The regiment is to merge with the Duke of Wellington's and the Prince of Wales's Own regiments later next year, but senior officers insisted that all three would retain their identities and local links.

Speaking at a press conference in York shortly after the changes were announced by Defence Secretary, Geoff Hoon, on Thursday of last week, senior officers from the three regiments described the news as "the best possible outcome".

Brig John Powell, from the Green Howards, said: "From the regiment's point of view, this news is cause for some strain among serving and former Green Howards. But the British infantry has always adapted to change and we have come out of this process very well."

Each of the three single-battalion Yorkshire regiments had feared it could be scrapped in a reshuffle which saw the number of infantry battalions cut nationally from 40 to 36.

Instead the Green Howards, which had campaigned locally and nationally to promote its cause, will make up the second battalion of the new 1,600-strong Yorkshire Regiment. The regiment will also have a fourth battalion, made up of Territorial Army companies.

The three regular Yorkshire battalions retain their individual names, but will unite under a new cap badge that is thought will be based on a white rose. The location of the new regimental headquarters has not yet been decided, but Brig Powell said he hoped it would be in York.

"If it is in York, I hope we would still keep an outstation at Richmond, which is of particularly importance in terms of keeping links with the local community," he said.

Brig Powell said it was time for the regiments to concentrate on the future.

"We need to look forward, but also acknowledge that there will be considerable strains in our recruiting areas," he said. "But we will take forward the best of our strengths as individual regiments to form a new regiment that will be stronger in more ways than just in terms of numbers."

Maj Roger Chapman, curator of the Green Howards' regimental museum in Richmond, said it was important that the Yorkshire links were retained.

"It is the first time in our 316-year history that we have been amalgamated, so it is a dramatic change," said Maj Chapman. "We were worried that we were going to be turned into part of a large Northern regiment and lose our local links, so we are very pleased that that has not been the case.

"We were called the Yorkshire Regiment during the First World War, so we can accept the new name as long as the Green Howards still has a place in the title.

"This has been our recruiting area for more than 200 years, and the change will have an effect on recruitment, but retaining the name is a tremendous help. We have lost our former independence, but we have all set ourselves the task of making the new regiment work."

The Mayor of Richmond, Coun Russell Lord, and Anne McIntosh, MP for the Vale of York, agreed it was important to keep the tradition and recruitment alive in the area.

"I am delighted at the success of the campaign we have fought to save the battalion," said Miss McIntosh. "I believe that one of the reasons for that is because the Green Howards and other Yorkshire regiments have been very successful at recruiting locally, and much of this is down to local loyalty to the name and the regiment. It does appear potential recruits and those serving do relate to the cap badge and want to keep it, and I am concerned that the highly successful recruitment programme may now be at risk if the identity and local links are lost."

Coun Lord said: "The Green Howards are an important part of Richmond, so it's good to know that they will still keep their identity and individuality.

"The regiment is about more than just a name - it's about families and long-standing tradition, and it would be a real shame to lose that.

"The people of Richmond and the council will continue to support the regiment and the museum, because it is the tradition that comes with these regiments that what makes the army what it is."