Town saddened by attack on troops

The injured paratroopers are based at Connaught Barracks in Dover

People in Dover have spoken of their sadness at news that paratroopers based in the town were injured in an attack in Iraq.

Seven paratroopers were hurt in an incident in the village of Majar al-Kabir on Tuesday, three of them seriously.

A few hours later six military policemen were found dead outside a police station in the same area after a separate attack.

Dover's MP told the BBC the town's people took troops based there to their hearts and would be sad to hear what had happened to them.

The paratroopers were injured when their helicopter came under fire when they tried to reach two vehicles which had been targeted by Iraqi gunmen, leaving another British solder injured.

The first paras are very much a part of the community

Gwyn Prosser, MP

Defence secretary Geoff Hoon confirmed the group were from the 1st Battalion of the Parachute Regiment, based at the Connaught Barracks on Castle Hill Road in Dover.

The troops had stayed in Iraq longer than many of those who initially were sent out to fight in the war and had most recently been looking after the new British Embassy in Baghdad.

Dover's Labour MP Gwyn Prosser said: "The first paras are very much a part of the community.

"They fit with the community, they enter into the town and they are part of Dover so that makes the whole issue rather more close to home, rather more sad.

'Part of the system'

"They are often to be seen in the town and the pubs, enjoying a night out.

"What makes this news all the more tragic is that at the end of next week we were expecting the first paras to come home."

His views were echoed by Councillor Paul Watkins, the leader of Dover District Council.

He said: "The local community will be saddened and will sympathise with the families that are affected.

"We hope that those critically injured are going to recover and come back to us.

"The garrison has been here for hundreds of years and obviously their children are educated here, the families do their shopping in the area, they engage in local activities and the soldiers are well known in the area.

"Any battalion that's here belongs to this community - we welcome them and they're part of the system."