Troops begin tour in Afghanistan

20 September 2012 Last updated at 16:36 ET Help

Almost 100 soldiers have left their base in North Yorkshire for a six-month operational tour in Afghanistan.

The soldiers are all members of the 1st Battalion The Mercian Regiment (Cheshire), based in Catterick.

The servicemen and women are part of 4 Mechanised Brigade which will take over responsibility for Task Force Helmand next month.

The Brigade was last in charge in the province in 2010.

Sgt Liam Varley, from Elton near Ellesmere Port, said the hardest part was leaving his wife.

Pte Mike Barber from Gorton, Manchester said it was his first tour, adding: "You wouldn't be human if you weren't scared."

BBC © 2013 The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read more.

This page is best viewed in an up-to-date web browser with style sheets (CSS) enabled. While you will be able to view the content of this page in your current browser, you will not be able to get the full visual experience. Please consider upgrading your browser software or enabling style sheets (CSS) if you are able to do so.