British troops fly out

Hundreds more British troops were flying out to southern Iraq today to join colleagues on peacekeeping duties.

More than 300 members of the Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment along with Territorial Army soldiers from the Glasgow-based 52nd Lowland Regiment were in upbeat mood as they left their barracks in Wiltshire.

Some 700 soldiers from the Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment have now left for Basra where they will form part of the 4,500-strong 1st Mechanised Brigade.

The troops will take over the running of the area from 20 Armoured Brigade who have been encountering violent anti-coalition protests.

But officers insisted today their role was still one of peacekeeping and not confrontation, despite the upsurge in violence across Iraq.