THEY say an army marches on its stomach and a Worcester dad hopes to prove it by setting up a breakfast club for veterans.

The Worcester Breakfast Club for HM Forces Veterans will meet at the Postal Order in Foregate Street at 10am on Saturday, September 5. It will take place every month thereafter (on the first Saturday of every month).

Father-of-two Dave Carney, aged 43, of Merrimans Hill, Worcester, set up the club after being inspired by other similar clubs across the country.

The reserve veteran with the Royal Engineers wanted to go to a breakfast club but found the nearest ones were in Bromsgrove and Gloucester so he decided to set up his own, closer to home.

He was influenced by Derek Hardman who set up a breakfast club for veterans in Hull and Andy Wilson who set one up in Newcastle. He said the idea has snowballed and there were now 70 similar clubs across the country and even some in Germany.

Mr Carney said with many Royal British Legion clubs closing he wanted veterans and serving personnel to feel they had somewhere they could go for good grub, beer and banter to recapture the comradery of being in the forces.

He said: "It's to create a social life after the Army. I was a reserve so it's quite easy for me to slip back into civilian life. But when you're in the Army full time you have the comradeship between your mates.

"When you leave the Army you haven't got your mates anymore. This is one way to bring together all the veterans from whatever service they were in and create a new club where they can socialise together, have some food, have a drink and have a bit of banter.

"Veterans can feel isolated. I looked on the map for my nearest breakfast club. I thought 'this is a good idea.

"I want to get involved'. But the nearest one was Bromsgrove or Gloucester. For me that's a bit too far. I thought 'hang on a sec, I have got some time on my hands. Why don't I set one up in Worcester?'"

The Postal Order was chosen because of its central location and its proximity to the railway station and hotels and reasonably priced food and drink.

The management of the pub have even given the veterans a designated area within the pub.

Mr Carney, an AAT qualified accountant, said management had been extremely supportive of the idea for the club.

Rob Deeming, the manager, said: "We will support them and give them a place to eat and drink and a friendly atmosphere to enjoy themselves."