A SPECTACULAR variety show is to be staged in honour of British soldiers serving in Afghanistan.

Tickets are on sale now for the Salute Our Heroes concert which will be held in Middlesbrough Theatre at 7.30pm on Saturday, February 12.

If the show sells out, about £4,000 will be raised for the Army Benevolent Fund (ABF), also known as The Soldiers’ Charity.

The chairman of the North Eastern branch of the ABF, retired Major Eric Ingram, said last night: “This is the first time we’ve staged one of these shows in the south of the region and it will be a hugely entertaining and colourful event.

“We want to branch out more into the wider region and we are very much looking forward to performing in Middlesbrough.”

Sell-out shows in aid of the charity have been held in The Sage Gateshead over the past three years.

The Teesside concert is being supported by Middlesbrough Erimus Rotary Club, which helped the ABF stage a highly successful gala day at Stewart Park in July, raising £7,000.

Mike Overy, of the Erimus Rotary Club, said: “The North-East contributes a disproportionately high number of recruits to the Armed Forces and consequently we suffer a high casualty rate, making the ABF a particularly poignant and deserving cause to support.”

Compered by Mark Page, the performance will include the Royal Signals (Northern) Band, the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers Band, John Rowland, Julie Pendleton, Alison Cochlan and Renaissance.

The show will feature songs and music from films and musicals and conclude with a last night of the proms section.

Tickets cost £15, or concessions at £12, from Middlesbrough Theatre box office on 01642-815181.