A SWINDON soldier is providing support to British troops as they help the people of war-torn Iraq rebuild their lives.

Lance Corp Chris Cole of the Adjutant General's Corps is serving as a financial clerk with 27 Transport Regiment, The Royal Logistics Corps at Camp Coyote in the middle of the Kuwaiti desert.

Chris has been in Iraq for only a few weeks, and is working in temperatures that can reach up to 50C deg. The regiment is tasked with ensuring vital supplies and humanitarian aid are distributed to checkpoints in southern Iraq.

The 23-year-old said: "People from our advance party warned us about the heat so we knew what to expect. One thing that sticks in my mind are the locals wandering around in boiler suits. They don't seem to need water when we are drinking ten to 12 litres a day."

The former Commonweal School pupil is responsible for a variety of roles, from dealing with financial and administrative matters to general soldiering.

He joined the Army in 2000 and had served in Northern Ireland and Kosovo before his Gulf experience.

His parents Raymond and Sally live in Swindon.