A STATE-of-the-art museum showcasing the borough’s proud military history has been officially unveiled by the Duke of Kent.

The £4.3 million Fusilier Museum stands proudly in Moss Street adjoining the tourist information centre.

It was officially opened on Friday, two days before a dedication ceremony for the Lutyens Memorial in nearby Gallipoli Garden.

The two events were attended by more than 500 people.

Despite some initial opposition to the museum collection and the memorial being moved from Wellington Barracks in Bolton Road, the museum has already proved a big hit with visitors.

The museum details many elements of British military life, focusing on the 300-year history of the Lancashire Fusiliers and the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers. It also hosts a cafe, an Army recruiting office and the Lancashire headquarters of the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers North West Development Agency chief executive Steven Broomhead said: “The relocation will strengthen the town’s appeal to visitors.

“The museum’s new home is a historic building with great local significance and this project will not only secure the building’s future but it will also provide an economic boost for the town centre.”

At the ceremony, the Duke unveiled a plaque and toured Gallipoli Garden to the sounds of the Lancashire Fusiliers Band and Drums and the Lorne Scots Pipes and Drums. The museum’s general manager, Mike Booth, said: “We were very honoured that the Duke of Kent officially opened the museum. We opened on June 27 — British Armed Forces Day — and since then have had more than 5,500 visitors.

“It is particularly pleasing that the museum has been so well received by the young and old alike.”

Bury Council leader, Cllr Bob Bibby, said: “Bury has enjoyed a long and proud association with the Fusiliers. The museum is next to Gallipoli Garden, which we named in honour of the 1915 campaign in which the Fusiliers won six Victoria Crosses.”

To mark the opening, the museum is selling a new DVD, called A Museum Fit For Heroes, which tells the story of the Lancashire Fusiliers and how its new home came about. The hour-long film costs £10 and all profits will go to the museum.