A fifth of Royal Marines' training is carried out on Dartmoor

Royal Marines have been playing a key role in the war in Iraq.

And senior officers say that training on the moor played a vital part in preparing the marines for action in Iraq.

But there has long been opposition to the armed forces using the moor for training.

A fifth of Royal Marines' training is carried out on Dartmoor and Lieutenant Colonel John Davies of Commando Training Wing said the training is vital.

"We recognise the other demands that are placed on Dartmoor," said Colonel Davies.

"It is a unique environment and challenging and we must make sure that these men are prepared in all respects for operations."

But an alliance of conservationists including the Ramblers, Open Spaces Society and Dartmoor Preservation Association (DPA) is campaigning against the training.

"It causes an enormous amount of problems," said John Bainbridge of the DPA.

"It's not what the national park was intended to be for."

But the forces say that not only does Dartmoor provide a tough and challenging training environment, it is also close to the marine bases of Plymouth and Taunton, and the training centre at Lympstone.