Army vehicle set for battle in L1 event

A Challenger 2 Main Battle Tank used by the British Army has been confirmed as one the attractions appearing at the Liverpool Pageant of Power event.

The battle tank was developed by BAE Systems Land Systems and will line up alongside race and rally cars, motorbikes and power boats that will converge on The Strand as part of a planned city-wide Pageant of Power.

James Hall, the event organiser and the person who runs Cholmondley Pageant of Power in Cheshire, said: "We've always had strong links with the Army at the Cholmondeley Pageant of Power and thought it would be fun to replicate at least part of that flavour in Liverpool. We will be raising money for the Help For Heroes charity so it all ties in nicely. It certainly will be spectacular to see the Challenger 2 in action on The Strand."

The battle tank will feature at the Liverpool Pageant on the evening of Tuesday 25 May at 7pm.

There will be two and a half hours of action on land, sea and air during the night when the roads will be closed to normal traffic.

Entries will include Le Mans winning Jaguar, Bentley and Maserati cars, a collection of modern supercars from Lamborghini and Ferrari as well as the latest models from Bentley. Two wheel heroes Neil Tuxworth and twelve time TT winner Charlie Williams will also be making an appearance on modern and classic racing motorcycles.

Hall added: "With super racing powerboats and jetskis in the docks plus a squadron of helicopters and the incredible Breitling Wing Walkers in the air this is an evening that Liverpool is unlikely to forget! I guarantee that this will be one of the most spectacular events that even this great city has promoted. I can't wait for the action to start."

There will be a number of events aimed for children taking place during 22 May and 29 May and the Ministry of Defence will also be in the Liverpool One area throughout raising money for Help for Heroes and hosting displays and demonstrations.

The Liverpool Pageant of Power is being organised along with Liverpool One developer-investor Grosvenor, Liverpool City Council and other partners. Grosvenor has also revealed its plans for Formula One cars to race down The Strand as part of the event.

Chris Bliss, estate director at Grosvenor, said: "The Liverpool Pageant of Power is set to be a thrilling event, the likes of which has not been seen in the city before. It's given us the opportunity to bring a whole programme of new interactive activities to Liverpool One which we hope will be enjoyed by families and visitors throughout the whole week."

The Liverpool Pageant of Power is a preview of the 3rd Cholmondeley Pageant of Power taking place the weekend of 17 and 18 July at Cholmondeley Castle in Malpas, Cheshire.