A FORMER Flight Lieutenant in the Royal Air Force (RAF) is hoping to take his “Bring Our Troops Homes” fight to Parliament by standing as an independent candidate in the key seat of B o l t o n West.

J i mmy J o n e s , w h o served 20 years in the RAF as a c o m m i s - sioned officer after leaving school, says his Bring Our Troops Home (BOTH) campaign means the country can direct money being spent on “our true frontline”

services, including police, education and health.

Mr Jones, aged 69, who lives in Horwich, said: “BOTH is central to my campaign from a war that has caused over 1,000 casualties, deaths and serious injuries, that has cost £22 billion. That will cost Bolton West around £6 million for 2010 alone.

“Mine is not a one issue campaign, but the first priority is the issue to stop pouring this money down the drain and spend it on services.”

Born and bred in Bolton, Mr Jones, worked as a chief engineer for British Aerospace before his retirement.

He then worked voluntarily as a technical adviser to 14 families who lost loved ones the Nimrod crash in Afghanistan in 2006.

Mr Jones, who is married with two adult children and has six grandchildren, worked on projects in the Middle East and Asia while with British Aerospace, and the United States Agency for International Development and the World Bank.

He took the radical step to stand as an independent after hearing every day about more deaths of British soldiers in the Afghan conflict.

Mr Jones said: “I have been against the war in Afghanistan since the beginning. Our brave troops did not sign up to be sent out on pointless, sacrificial patrols through Afghan provinces.

“It is an uphill battle for an independent. The main parties may have better shop windows than me but no substance.

I think voters are fed up with the main parties, particularly in light of the expenses scandal.”