The troops are patrolling across five separate camps in southern Iraq

The arrival of two Army Landrovers to the small Iraqi fishing town of Al Faw brings brisk and welcome business to the local kebab shop.

Soldiers from the 1st Battalion Royal Anglian Regiment (The Vikings) have developed quite a liking for its takeaways and are frequent visitors.

By the time they have started to patrol the market, local people are offering them cans of drink.

The soldiers' attempts at Arabic are met with delight from local children.

The battalion has a total of 520 soldiers based in five separate camps across southern Iraq for a six-month tour.

'Great reaction so far'

The 62 soldiers from A Company 1 R Anglian, based at the Battalion's furthest outpost of Camp Driftwood on the outskirts of the town, arrived at the end of April.

They are quick to acknowledge how fortunate they are to be in such a friendly part of the country.

"It has been brilliant so far," said Capt Luke Stamm, 29, from Cambridge, who is the Officer Commanding Camp Driftwood.

"The reaction to us from the locals has been great. They like to see us here and we go out on joint patrols with the Iraqi Police Service."

Capt Rob Smit, 24, from Taverham, Norfolk, and his team are responsible for liaising with the local Iraqi Police Service in Al Faw and acting as mentors to their commander.

They carry out joint patrols in the town, set up vehicle checkpoints for spot checks.

The quicker we can help the security services to do their jobs effectively and efficiently, the quicker the British forces can leave 2nd Lt Gavin Hudson, 24, from Woodbridge

"We try to turn it more into community policing," said Capt Smit.

"The people of Al Faw seem completely happy with our presence, although there is always an insurgent threat.

"I'm finding this a fantastic experience - it is the combination of all the training we have done over the past six months, and puts everything we have learnt into perspective."

Pte Neil Tilbury, 22, from Harold Hill, Essex, patrols in Al Faw up to three times a day.

"We go on patrols with the local police who seem to like the job and are getting very good at it - especially vehicle check points - and are beginning to get some good equipment," he said.

Nearly 100 kilometres upstream on the left bank of the Shatt al Arab River, the rest of their colleagues in A Company are based in one of Saddam Hussein's former palaces in Basra city.

Training Iraqi forces

The 65 men provide a wide variety of support, training and mentoring to Iraqi security forces in the south of the city.

Cpl Jonathon Ratten, 29, from Loughton, Essex, is one of the team commanders liaising with the agencies at the port to get it up and running again.

"We deal with the port authorities, the police, immigration authorities and Iraqi River Police," he explained.

He said: "They are pretty receptive and are now beginning to talk together and work together."

2nd Lt Gavin Hudson, 24, from Woodbridge, Suffolk, is responsible for working with the police at Abu al Khasib, a town of 160,000 people south of Basra.

"We are organising joint patrols and operations such as house arrests and searches," he said.

"This is my first tour and I've found it really exciting. By the end of it I would really like to see some improvement in the security situation and the lives of the Iraqi people.