Citizen reporter Gill Ellis joins the Territorial Army on manoeuvres. SOLDIERS from Preston were called in to defend a nuclear submarine from attacks by riotous Scots out celebrating their new found freedom.

The Territorial Army unit from The Fourth Battalion, The Queen's Lancashire Regiment, were stationed at Gareloch near Glasgow when the SOS came through.

Suddenly it was all stations go as troops were deployed in force to guard the Faslane Submarine Base on the banks of Loch Long, home to the Trident ballistic warhead.

But don't run for cover - just yet - the panic was only a simulated test for troops during their two week annual camp, but it had all the ingredients of a real emergency.

Cpl Martin Bellingham was on the front line: "It was very realistic. We could hear the sound of firing from companies nearby and we could actually see the submarine which had come in for repairs."

The 32-year-old leisure worker from Leyland near Preston described the battle as he and his fellow soldiers scaled the Scottish hills, routing out the enemy.

"We had to move from one location to another, spending the night on recce patrols, finding out where these groups of terrorists were hiding.

"The hardest part was finding them, but once we did, we had to strike at them before they hit us." During the camp, the TA were joined by members of the Royal Marine Reserves who provided assault craft to take troops across the lochs.

Other locals taking part in the exercise included-

Captain Ian Topliss from Preston

Major Mike Glover from Penwortham

Corporal Stuart Gregory from Grimsargh

Private Andy Sutherland from Preston

Private Mark Williams from Penwortham

Sergeant Shuttleworth from Penwortham

Private Chris Hans from Preston

The Lord Lieutenant of Lancashire, Lord Charles Shuttleworth has been Honorary Colonel of the Regiment for some 18 months.

He visited troops in Scotland to find out more about army life: "Personally I don't have military background," he said: "Obviously I have to learn a lot about the military side of things but as Honorary Colonel it's more a question of trying to promote the Regiment with the people of Lancashire and also within the whole military network, to ensure the Regiment gets a good deal with the Army as a whole."

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