Mr Guy says troops will rarely get to reflect on what they saw in Iraq

Keith Guy said thousands of local servicemen and women were likely to be suffering from the psychological effects of war.

And he warned that unless troops were offered significant counselling when they returned, they could face a number of long-term psychological problems, including post-traumatic stress disorder.

Nothing could prepare military personnel for what they are likely to witness in a war situation.

Different reactions

He said: "In my experience of working with the services, there's often a kind of macho image - that if you are going to get help it is some kind of weakness.

"But other people recognise that they are experiencing difficulties and they will seek help."

Mr Guy said he appreciated the substantial efforts by the armed forces to make sure their personnel were given help and advice.

But he believed that despite their high level of training, there was no way of knowing or testing in advance how each soldier would react to what they had been through.

He said: "People react differently to trauma, and not everyone who returns is going to be traumatised.

"But I had some direct experience working with people from the Falklands War.

"So this is really a rallying cry to the authorities to get involved, and start talking to each other about the things we are going to put in place for those people who will experience some difficulty."