HE may have been thousands of miles away in Iraq - but Major Chris Townend still found time to remember his mum on Mother's Day.

Major Townend, of Menston but now based in Germany, is serving with the Royal Army Medical Corps and has been in Iraq since January.

But on Mother's Day, he remembered his mum, Pat Kirk, and sent her his picture - complete with loving message.

Mrs Kirk, of Burley Road, was on holiday in Tenerife on Mothering Sunday and returned days later to find two letters waiting for her.

"I thought I'd got two letters and opened one to find the picture, it was really nice to hear from him," she said.

In the letter, dated March 30, Major Townend talks about his work as a hospital manager.

"He's not allowed to say where he is, but he sounds okay. I was a psychiatric nurse and he talks about treating psychiatric patients messed up in the war because he knows I'll be interested," added Mrs Kirk.

Major Townend, 43, a former pupil at Benton Park School, Rawdon, went straight into the army as an apprentice at Harrogate after school 26 years ago.

No stranger to overseas duty, he has been decorated, including the Royal Red Cross.

He is married to Kate, who has moved from Germany to Newcastle for the time being, and has two sons, Tom, 17 and Edward, 15, who are at school in Durham.

It is the second time he's been out to Iraq, having been there before as part of a military operation.

Mrs Kirk added: "I'm less worried about him now than I was a month ago, but that dangerous aspect is still there as it is with anyone out there, but he has been in the army a long time and is experienced."

Now, his family hopes he will be returning home in the next few weeks.

"I've been in touch with his wife and she says not to send any more letters, we're hoping he will be back in the next few weeks," said Mrs Kirk.