A popular campaign by The Echo in south Wales has been followed up by the Government – which is now set to pay £10m towards Britain’s World War II veterans visiting the foreign battlegrounds where they fought.

The importance of giving the heroes the chance to pay their respects to their fallen comrades was something recognised by the Cardiff-based paper last year.

In June the Trinity Mirror title launched Operation Echo – an appeal to send a party of Normandy veterans to France in June to be part of the 60th anniversary of D-Day. The initiative was backed by the Royal British Legion and the Normandy Veterans’ Association.

The Echo and its generous readers, through a number of fundraising events, had already raised £16,500 towards the £50,000 cost of sending 146 members of the association and their partners to France when the Heroes Return Programme was revealed.

The campaign will now apply for a share of the £10m, paid from the National Lottery’s New Opportunities Fund.

Echo editor Alastair Milburn said: “As soon as we realised that the 60th anniversary of D-Day was approaching we decided that our war heroes should have the opportunity to return to the battlegrounds where they fought and pay tribute to those who did not come home.

“It is nice to see that campaigns such as Operation Echo has helped put this on the political agenda.

“Our readers have once again showed their commitment to a worthwhile cause but we would willingly accept any contribution from the Heroes Return Programme.”