A Keighley soldier is among a United Nations contingent patrolling the famous 'green line' in Cyprus, which separates the republic from an area of Turkish occupation in the north.

Paul Bradwell (pictured), 24, a lance corporal with the Duke of Wellington regiment, is on a six-month tour of duty.

He said: "It is an operational tour, so I get a medal for being somewhere where a lot of people come on holiday!

"I go out on patrols quite a bit. It is weird, as most of the area has been deserted since 1974 when the Turkish invasion was halted by the UN. Nothing seems to have been touched since then, it's like a time warp.

"The heat has been a real problem. It has taken a while to get used to it. You just have to get accustomed to drinking lots of water."

Daytime temperatures in the centre of the island quickly soar past 40C.

Paul - a former Oakbank School pupil - and his colleagues are responsible for ensuring that any violations of UN agreements are properly reported and, where possible, dealt with at the lowest level. This sometimes means settling disputes between opposing forces.