A Winchester soldier presently serving in Umm Qasr is calling for help get Iraqi children back to school.

The Chronicle is backing Sergeant Edward Arnold in his plea for stationery for the youngsters of the war-torn city.

Sgt Arnold has two daughters, Jemma (8) and Jodie (6), who go to Harestock Primary School and the idea came to him when he received a letter from Jemma asking him to help the children of Iraq after she had seen television coverage of the aftermath of the invasion.

Her dad is serving with 23 Pioneer Regiment and is helping the people of Umm Qasr get back into a normal way of life following the fall of the Iraqi regime.

His wife, Karen, driving force behind the project in Winchester, is asking people to donate pens, pencils, felt-tips, colouring books, notepads, or similar items. She plans to send them to Iraq via the Army.

Speaking from the family home in Swanmore Close, she said: "My husband has seen what needs to be done and the chaos the people are living in.

"He thought that if the children got back to school, some sort of normality would come back to their lives. But he needs people to donate any stationery they can to get the ball rolling."

Added Jemma: "The children have done nothing wrong, so I thought it would be nice to help them. They could have the colouring books and the adults could use the notebooks as a diary."

Sgt Arnold is no stranger to active service: he was in Kosovo two years ago and in Kuwait at the start of the latest conflict, before moving on to Basra and then Umm Qasr. He says conditions are extremely hot and that "sand gets everywhere". He is not expected home for some months.

The Hampshire Chronicle will act as a drop-off point for anyone wishing to donate items for the children of Iraq.

Please bring them to our office at 57, High Street, Winchester and Karen will collect them at the end of each week. To comply with military security, items should not be packaged up.