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Lancs troops to return early
A hundred soldiers from a Lancashire regiment are set to return home at the end of January - four months before their tour is officially due to end.
The troops, many of them based in Lancashire, are part of the 1st Battalion Duke of Lancaster's Burma Company.
Along with the remaining 500 1 LANCS troops, Burma Company, which currently forms part of the Royal Dragoon Guards Battlegroup, were due to return in May.
But thanks to improved conditions on the ground in Iraq, commanders have decided the time is right to start bringing soldiers home early.
The rest of the 1LANCS - a further four companies - are expected to come home in April.
The early return follows an announcement by the Prime Minster Gordon Brown to reduce the numbers of UK soldiers operating in Iraq, following a visit to Basra last month.
A spokesman for the Army said: "Over the Christmas and New Year period the soldiers were told that the Royal Dragoon Guards battlegroup, including Burma Company, would be returning home at the end of January.
"It is part of a long-standing policy to look at conditions on the ground so they do not have to stay there any longer than necessary.
"The remaining companies are anticipated to be coming home in April.
"It is good for the families and the guys themselves are obviously conscious that once they start a job they want to finish it.
"They trained for a long time and it is good news that the commanders on the ground feel that jobs are being completed."
Families have already been told if their loved ones are coming home via a private website set up for them by the 1LANCS to update them on the troops' progress in Basra.
Mukhtar Master, chairman of the Preston Stop the War Coalition, said: "Just like the families of the young soldiers Preston Stop the War are pleased to hear of this announcement.
"However, we will not be truly satisfied until we have a complete withdrawl of British troops, not only from Iraq but also from Afghanistan."
* A commander and troops from the 1 LANCS are due to fly home from Basra on Saturday to update families of troops stationed in Iraq on their progress. They will meet with relatives in Lancaster and explain the work soldiers are carrying out in Basra.
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Thursday 09 February 2012
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