TERRITORIAL Army soldiers from two North-west battalions start training on Monday for a six-month operational tour in Iraq.

About 120 men and women from Lancashire, Cumbria, Merseyside, Greater Manchester and Cheshire are due to fly out to Iraq in May.

About 10 per cent of British forces in Iraq are provided by the TA, whose part-time soldiers support regular army units.

The TA's two North West infantry battalions fall under the command of the Army's 42 (North West) Brigade.

They will provide local security and protection to British forces in Basra. They will also escort convoys, mount quick reaction patrols and act as close protection to medical reaction teams.

Since 2003, more than 1,200 TA officers and soldiers from the North West have served on Operation Telic, the name given to the UK's deployment of 8,000 personnel in Iraq.