THE Duke of Lancaster's regiment has confirmed its soldiers will not be among the 1,000 extra British troops being sent to Afghanistan.

The 2nd battalion of the regiment, which encorporates the former Queen's Lancashire Regiment, is due to return from a six-month tour of duty Iraq in May.

Defence Secretary Des Browne has now announced that the extra reinforcements will be deployed to bolster the 5,600 British troops already stationed in Afghanistan's Helmand province.

But Lieutenant Colonel John Downham said his regiment was "not among" those being drafted in.