ARMY chef Sergeant Derek Allison, (pictured) of Burnley, has been stirring a cooking pot in the scorching heat of Africa's Kalahari Desert.

Derek, 32, a former pupil at Barden High School, Burnley, is a Royal Logistics Corps chef serving with A Company, 2nd Battalion, The Princess of Wales' Royal Regiment and in March left his usual training ground on Salisbury Plain.

Taking part in Exercise Diamond Cutter in Botswana, Derek said: "This exercise has been demanding but rewarding at the same time.

"The heat inside the cookhouse tent is well above 40 degrees Celsius when we have the stoves going for the evening meal.

"I have looked at the Botswana Defence Force diet and it is not very appetising to our palates. We produce typical English food with occasional experiments using local produce."

During the six week exercise, Derek - who once cooked for Prince Charles in Berlin - and his chefs had to prepare and cook three meals a day for 160 soldiers, no mean feat when the nearest shop is more than 50 miles away!

Derek joined the army in 1984 and has since served around the world, in places like Belize, Cyprus, Gibraltar, Germany, Bosnia and Canada.

His parents, Melvyn and Joyce, live in the area and he is married to Kathryn.