NANTWICH soldier Stephen Britton spent last weekend supporting members of the Royal Ulster Constabulary in Drumcree.

Trooper Stephen, from Burleydam, is serving with the Royal Dragoon Guards and has been supporting the RUC in County Armagh.

He was a pupil at Malbank School before following his father's and brother's footsteps and joining the Army.

One of Stephen's tasks has been to man vehicle checkpoints in the Portadown area with other soldiers from his battalion.

"We're here to do our job supporting the RUC and will do it to the best of our ability," said Stephen.

While in Northern Ireland the Army's main role is one of counter terrorism but thousands of troops have been allocated to ensure there is support for the RUC during the marching season.

The soldiers are under the command of the 3 Infantry Brigade at Mahon Barracks in Portadown.

This is the base of the 3rd Battalion The Royal Irish Regiment (Home Service) which has also been playing a key role over the Drumcree period.

Stephen, who enjoys rugby and fishing, has learnt to drive with the army and travelled to Canada and next year he will be moving to Germany.

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