Army divers to help police forces

Army divers fresh from a tour of Afghanistan are offering their services to police forces so that they can lend a hand in operations.

Divers from Suffolk-based 23 Engineer Regiment (Air Assault) want the forces to know they are ready to be called into action at home, as well as abroad.

The army is offering its help to forces in Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Essex, Norfolk, Suffolk and Hertfordshire.

The regiment is to carry out a dive at Ipswich docks to show what it can do.

'Ready to assist'

The divers are based at Rock Barracks at Sutton Heath, near Woodbridge.

Nearly all of the divers taking part in the demonstration on Monday spent six months in Afghanistan last summer as part of 16 Air Assault Brigade.

The Regiment is always looking for opportunities to combine supporting the local community with ensuring we stay trained and ready Sgt Pete Donnelly 23 Engineer Regiment (Air Assault)

The regiment has the largest diving team in the Corps of Royal Engineers, with 36 qualified divers.

Sgt Pete Donnelly, the regimental army diving supervisor, said: "We are looking at offering our services to be on standby for the police constabularies covering the counties of Essex, Suffolk, Norfolk, Cambridgeshire, Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire, ready to assist them in any way we can."

"The Regiment is always looking for opportunities to combine supporting the local community with ensuring we stay trained and ready in our role as part of the Army's premier rapid reaction force."