Pasties wing their way to troops

The 800 pasties were destined for Helmand Province

A special military flight has brought a taste of home to South West troops serving in Afghanistan.

Eight hundred Cornish pasties, weighing about a quarter of a ton combined, left RAF Brize Norton on Tuesday.

Pasty-maker Ivor Dewdney hopes they will boost morale among Royal Marines fighting in Helmand Province.

Phil Abbott, from the Plymouth-based firm, said: "If receiving a pasty brings a smile to the face of a Royal Marine then I'm happy to help."

He added: "We would not be able to do any of this without the expert help and support of people like Sgt Rick Townsend and Staff Sgt Hincklin who both helped sort the logistics of getting so many pasties halfway around the world."

The baker has been sending pasties around the globe to service personnel for many years.

Ivor Dewdney started the company in 1935 and the business is now run by his grandchildren.