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Soldier Home for Xmas

THE FAMILY of Black Watch soldier Sergeant Graham Parker from Portpatrick got the Christmas present they had been hoping for at the weekend - his safe return home from war-torn Iraq.

Graham (31) returned home to his UK base in Warminster, Wiltshire, on Saturday, much to the relief of his anxious family and his wife Lisa.

He travelled to the volatile area of Iraq with fellow troops back in October to assist American forces as they battled with insurgents.

Their hazardous journey north from Basra to their base at Camp Dogwood in Central Iraq took them through the notorious "Sunni Triangle", an area that saw a number of attacks on American and coalition troops in recent months. And the move came at a tragic cost, with five of the regiment losing their lives during the deployment.

As the regiment's time in the troubled central region of the country came to an end last week, the troops made their way back to their base at Basra to make final preparations to return home at the weekend.

With the news that her son was now safely back on British soil, his relieved mother Tena, who stays at Portree Terrace in Portpatrick, said that the family are now looking forward to an emotional reunion over the forthcoming festive spell. Mrs Parker said:

"We are just absolutely over the moon, it's been a rollercoaster of emotions."