PART-TIME soldiers from Yorkshire showed the way forward for the British Army when they deployed to Africa before Christmas.

Kohima Platoon of the 4th Battalion the Yorkshire Regiment are currently doing force protection duties at the British Army Training Unit in Kenya (BATUK).

The 33 servicemen and women took over the role from the 1st Battalion of the Royal Gurkha Rifles and have to cope with heat, dust and Kenyan health measures. They will not return from Africa until next month.

It is only the second time an Army Reserve unit has been responsible for force protection duties at BATUK.

An Army statement on the deployment said: "The challenge and experience of deploying a formed Army Reserve force will serve the Battalion well, and as the Field Army decreases in size, deployments such as this will become the norm for the Reserve."

4th Battalion, which has a training base at Imphal Barracks, is the reserve battalion of the Yorkshire Regiment.

As well as performing military duties and undergoing training, the soldiers have the chance to go on safari and on package trips including white water rafting and rock climbing, as well as visiting the Kenyan coast and visiting local community projects.