THE troops turned out in their numbers for a free Armed Forces weekend at Clacton Pier.

More than £8,500 worth of wristbands were given out to families who had fun in the sun over both days.

They enjoyed unlimited use of the landmark’s rides, free children’s entertainment from James Magic and live music performed by SMC and Tracey Moorhouse.

Several classic military vehicles were also on display on the forecourt and attracted a lot of attention.

Nigel Brown, Clacton Pier’s communications manager, said it was great to see so many people enjoying themselves on a relaxing day out at the attraction.

“We had a lot of families from the Army at Colchester and in all we gave out 570 free wristbands, 328 on Saturday and 242 on Sunday,” he said.

“Many families came up and thanked us for running the event again this year and said how much the gesture meant to them.

“It was the best attended yet.

“We put on a similar event for the emergency services in June and it is just our way of thanking them for everything they do for us throughout the year.”

The weekend’s event was also open to armed forces veterans and their families.