LANCASHIRE'S elite fighting force has made the grade for a new version of the children's card game Top Trumps.

Ever since the 1970s, youngsters have been able to compare statistics about everything from cars and warships to FHM models.

Now though, in a bid to raise money for aid in Afghanistan, a Top Trumps card pack entitled Fighting Units of the British Army has hit the shelves.

The Duke of Lancaster's Regiment (DLR), which takes in soldiers from the Lancashire area, is one of the 30 units to be included in the pack, which is made by game company Winning Moves.

The Top Trumps regiments and battalions are rated on six different categories including the year they were founded, manpower, Victoria Crosses, battle honours, firepower, and combat versatility.

Players win cards from opponents based on the superior statistics their regiments hold.

And it's the DLR that blows away the opposition in terms of Victoria Crosses - awarded to soldiers for showing bravery in the face of the enemy - having been awarded 61, the most in the entire pack.

Proceeds from the game will help generate funds for the Germany-based Afghan Appeal Fund (AAF) that supports the humanitarian work of charities working in Afghanistan, such as the funding of schools and medical facilities.

Army spokesman Major Keith Scott said: "This is a great opportunity for us to raise awareness to younger generations of our history and structure and highlight some of the equipment we use.

"It will also raise money for a worthy cause, hopefully providing assistance for children in perhaps one of the poorest countries in the world."

The DLR is good to pull out of the pack because it scores the highest for Victoria Crosses, scores well for military honours with 305 and more than holds its own in the other sections.

The 1st Battalion the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers (1 RRF) - which recruits many of its soldiers from the Greater Manchester and Lancashire areas - has average Top Trumps statistics.

It's combat versatility score is 43 - compared to DLR's 57, and it only has 155 military honours to its name.

But with a manpower of 862 it can hold its own.

The DLR is currently in the process of deploying troops to Iraq for a six-month tour of duty.