THE Red Arrows will be seen in skies above North Yorkshire today to mark Armed Forces Day.

The spectacular flypast over Scarborough will take place on the day the town should have been hosting the National Armed Forces Day event, but this was cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic.

No time has been revealed for the flypast, but it will be part of a short ceremonial service at Scarborough Castle, attended by a small number of personnel from all three Armed Forces and senior representatives from Scarborough Borough Council.

The service will be recorded and then shown online at 1pm at scarborougharmedforcesday.co.uk.

Cllr Tony Randerson, Scarborough Borough Council cabinet member with responsibility for the Armed Forces Day National Event in Scarborough, which will now take place in June 2021, said: “Today’s flypast is a wonderful surprise and I would like to thank the RAF for arranging to include the Yorkshire coast in the route.

"The Red Arrows’ fitting tribute to our Armed Forces marks the end of a week where we’ve celebrated their invaluable contribution to our nation virtually, with a wide range of online content from veterans, serving Armed Forces personnel and local children, groups and organisations.

“I would also like to thank English Heritage staff at Scarborough Castle for hosting the flag raising ceremony, which gives us the opportunity, albeit in a much smaller way, to formally salute our Armed Forces.

“We look forward to next year when we will be able to come together physically for the national celebration. Planning is already underway for a spectacular occasion to make Scarborough, our county and our country, very proud.”