DON Lucey insists that every precaution will be taken to ensure that September's planned trip is a safe one.

Although he acknowledges that there are potential dangers, he believes it would be a shame for people to deprive themselves of seeing such an ancient country, especially one which has been largely hidden from the west for so long.

Mr Lucey is a former soldier and police officer with extensive experience in security.

He said: "I went to Iraq after the end of the conflict last year as a civilian worker and immediately fell in love with the place.

"It is a beautiful country whose civilisation goes back thousands of years, and its people are wonderful and friendly in spite of all that happened to them under Saddam."

Security precautions already in place include keeping the precise details of the itinerary, including travel dates and planned routes, confidential.