BLACKPOOL may have been blazing this week, but thousands of miles away in Iraq, local soldiers have had more than just soaring heat to deal with.

As temperatures reached 56 degrees centigrade, members of the Queen's Lancashire Regiment in Basrah were faced with angry demonstrating about fuel shortages and power cuts.

There were injuries to 14 troops at flashpoints across the city while a further three soldiers in the 1st Battalion suffered shrapnel wounds when grenades were thrown by protesters in the suburb of Al Tanummah on the eastern bank of the Shaa al-Arab river.

The troops in the front line included Major John Lighten, from Blackpool, who leads the battalion's Burma company.

"We were able to respond in a thorough and professional way," said Maj Lighten. "The experience we have gained as a regiment in the Balkans and Northern Ireland is invaluable in this sort of situation."

But he warned that the battalion faces difficult challenges in coming weeks: "The events of last weekend were disturbing because they showed that some in Basrah are unhappy with the progress being made.

"If we do not have the support of the Iraqi people it will be much more difficult to reconstruct their country and present them with the opportunity to enjoy democracy."

Lieutenant Colonel Jorge Mendonca hailed the professionalism and restraint shown by his men during the demonstrations.

"My soldiers performed magnificently, showing great courage, solid infantry skills and tremendous self-discipline.

"To have effectively controlled several large angry crowds, while in temperatures exceeding 56C, without loss of life, was a considerable achievement. I am very proud of them."

The power cuts came about when looters brought down pylon cables to steal the copper inside. Without electricity, refineries were unable to produce enough petrol and diesel, and their back up generators needed fuel to operate.