THREE Territorial Army soldiers are to put the peaceful streets of Bury behind them and help in the war against terrorism.

Fusiliers Ken Simpson, Daniel Packham and Stuart Briggs will make regional history in September when a 40-strong TA infantry platoon from the North West will be deployed on peacekeeping and security duties in war-torn Afghanistan.

All three are members of the Machine Gun platoon of the Lancastrian and Cumbrian Volunteers (LCV) based at Bury's Castle Armoury Drill Hall.

Fusilier Simpson (36) is a youth worker for Bury Council. He has been a member of the TA for five years. Fusilier Packham (18) works for Blockbuster Video in Bury and Fusilier Briggs, also aged 18, is an insurance salesman in Farnworth.

The volunteer soldiers will act as a guard force for the 400 British soldiers who will remain in the country.

They will be responsible for the security of a squadron of Royal Engineers and members of the British national support element working alongside the Turkish Armed Forces who now command the International Security Assistant Force centred on Kabul. Fusiliers Simpson, Packham and Briggs will be no strangers to the heat of Afghanistan after only recently returning from a two-week exercise in Cyprus.

Between now and the first week of September, the TA platoon will receive specialist training to sharpen their infantry skills and mobilisation and operational training. The tour of duty will last three months.