THE three British soldiers facing court martials over allegations of war crimes in Iraq are all from East Lancashire, the Evening Telegraph can reveal today.

And today shocked relatives in Darwen, Brierfield and Burnley were trying to contact the men from the Queen's Lancashire Regiment who are the first Britons to be accused of inhuman treatment of people under the International Criminal Court Act 2001.

Cpl Donald Payne, 34, of Brierfield, faces allegations over the manslaughter of a Basra hotel receptionist, Baha Da'Oud Salim Mousa.

He also faces charges inhuman treatment and perverting the course of justice.

His two colleagues Private Darren Fallon, of Darwen, and Lance Corporal Wayne Crowcroft, 21, of Burnley, are also charged with inhuman treatment of people.

The family and friends of Private Fallon today spoke of their disbelief at his charges.

His father Trevor said he "could not believe it".

Mr Fallon said his 22-year-old son, who was currently based in Cyprus was "so young".

He said: "I do not want to say a lot at this time. We are still shocked. He only went in the army at 19 and then straight to Iraq. I will need the Lancashire Evening Telegraph's support when we are ready to speak. This is a very hard time."

Private Fallon's uncle, who works at a Darwen pub, where Darren was in the pool team, said he was angry at the news.

Michael Fallon, 41 said: "I am proud of my nephew. He is a lovely lad.

"It is a sad shame what is happening to him."

A friend Kelly Nixon, 29, went on holiday with the ex-Darwen Moorland High School pupil and a group of friends to Portugal in 2001.

Kelly, who works at another Darwen pub said Darren often drank there with his friends when he was back form the army.

She said: "He is such a nice person. I can't believe it.

"We had a great time on holiday. He is very kind and so are all his friends.

Sean Roche, 44, said he had drank with Darren and his friends many times.

He said: "He has been coming in the pub for about three years. He is very well known around here. He always wanted to be in the army.

"He stopped drinking while he was in here to get his fitness up to what he needed."

In Brierfield Corporal Payne's family refused to comment on the allegations. Speaking outside his parents' terraced house, Cpl Payne's brother said the army had advised them not to speak about the case and they were dealing with a solicitor.

Ten years ago Cpl Payne was married to sweetheart Sandra Broadley, 36, at Burnley register office while he was based at Salisbury Plain, Wiltshire.

The reception was at the Alexander Hotel, Todmorden Road, and an evening event at Fulledge Conservative Club.

After the wedding the pair went straight to a Burnley FC cup clash against Liverpool and were given a round of applause when they arrived at the Bob Lord stand in full wedding gear.

The groom, the eldest son of Donald and Kathleen Payne, had feared he would miss the match but he was presented with tickets by his new wife.

Mum Kathleen said at the time: "He came home shortly before Christmas and said he was getting married so we began hastily organising the day but did not realise it clashed with the game, but Sandra soon sorted it out."

Lance Corporal Wayne Crowcroft, 21, of Burnley, is also charged with inhuman treatment of persons.

A third Burnley area soldier, Sgt Kelvin Stacey, has been charged with assaulting an Iraqi detainee in Basra. The allegation against Sgt Stacey is not a war crime charge.

Sgt Stacey, 28, who is currently based in Cyprus, is alleged to have assaulted a detainee and faces a charge of assault causing actual bodily harm and an alternative charge of common assault.

Although charged under the 2001 Act, the QLR troops face proceedings before a military tribunal in the UK, rather than being tried by the International Criminal Court at The Hague.

The ICC's jurisdiction is based on the principle that it can only exercise that jurisdiction when a state is unable or unwilling to investigate or prosecute.

Attorney General Lord Goldsmith announced the charges on Tuesday in the House of Lords.

Colonel Jorge Mendonca, 41, a highly decorated commanding officer with the QLR in Iraq at the time of the incident, who is now part of the Army's General Staff, is charged with negligently performing a duty, contrary to the Army Act 1955.

The case relates to incidents in the southern Iraqi city of Basra between September 13 and 15, 2003.

The accused are alleged to have committed a number of offences against Iraqi detainees who were arrested following a planned operation.

l THE Prime Minister, meanwhile, has offered condolences to the families of three British soldiers killed in Iraq over the weekend, saying that the servicemen were doing "a vital and heroic job in helping that country to democracy".

At the final Question Time before the summer recess Mr Blair rejected suggestions Iraq was on the brink of civil war and said the only response to rising levels of terror attacks was to "stand firm and see it through".

He told Liberal Democrat leader Charles Kennedy that he could not give a specific date for the withdrawal of British forces from the country.