YORK'S most senior soldier has pledged to remain involved in the region as he saluted the city for the final time.

Brigadier Richard Dennis, the Army's top commander in north-east England, has brought his three-and-half years in Yorkshire to an end by leaving for a new post.

The 48-year-old, who headed the UK's largest brigade - 15 (North East) Brigade - during his time in York, said farewell to the city's Imphal Barracks in style as Territorial Army soldiers from the Queen's Own Yeomanry took him on a last tour around the camp in a light tank.

With the route lined by military and civilian Brigade and York Garrison staff and soldiers from 2 Signal Regiment, it was an emotional goodbye for Brigadier Dennis, who lives in York with his wife, Suzannah, and four sons.

He said: "The highlight of my three-and-a-half years in Yorkshire and the north-east has been, for the first time in my military career, getting outside the barrack gates and being in touch with the communities we serve. The experience of commanding the troops in the region and the warm welcome from people here has exceeded my expectations and I was delighted to be recently named one of the first Friends Of The City Of York, an honour bestowed by the Lord Mayor.

"I look forward to continuing my association with the region and I will be returning in my new post from time to time to visit the many infantry units in the area."

That new post will see Brigadier Dennis stationed at the Land Warfare Centre in the Wiltshire town of Warminster, having been in charge of 11,500 regular and Territorial Army soldiers, 8,000 cadets, 750 members of the University Officer Training Corps and 2,000 civilian workers - in an area stretching from the north-east to the Scottish borders and north Lincolnshire - during his years in York.

Born in Essex and educated in Portsmouth, he was commissioned into the Royal Hampshire Regiment in 1978 and served as a company commander with the 1st Battalion the Staffordshire Regiment during the Gulf War.

His Army career has also taken him to the Falkland Islands, South Georgia, Germany, Hong Kong and Kenya, where he was based when the country was devastated by floods caused by the El Nino weather phenomenon in 1997. He was also involved in the planning for the funeral of Diana, Princess of Wales.

Brigadier Dennis was awarded an OBE in 2007 and also received the Queen's Commendation for Valuable Service following a tour of Northern Ireland.