Roy Routledge, 79 from Kingsthorpe and Bob Smith, 73 of Duston, were hoping to attend the country's biggest Remembrance Sunday ceremony tomorrow, which they feared could be their last due to their advancing years.

In every previous year when they have requested tickets for the march past from the organisers, the Royal British Legion, they have been accepted.

However in the last 12 months Westminster City Council has narrowed the road near the Cenotaph to create more pavement space for spectators, meaning fewer columns of ex-soldiers can take part in the march in the capital.

As a result, Mr Routledge and Mr Smith, who both served in Egypt in the 1940s and 1950s, have been told by their association, the Canal Zoners, that they cannot take part this year.

Mr Smith, who was in the Royal Engineers, said: "This is the most important ceremony in the country so I'm very disappointed.

"It doesn't make practical sense to me because they could just make the columns longer to fit everyone in."

Mr Routledge, who was in Egypt from 1947 to 1949, said: "It is a special atmosphere and I think we deserve to be there as much as anyone else.

"If you have served in the armed forces at any point then you are all the same so I don't know how you can differentiate between us."

The Royal British Legion said that four regimental associations who previously had up to 250 people taking part have now reduced their numbers to 198 because of the narrowing of the road.

A spokeswoman said: "This was done as a practical response to a permanent feature. I hope this has not discouraged them from stopping for two minutes on Remembrance Sunday."