SOLDIERS serving in Afghanistan have sent Christmas messages back to the UK.

Despite a busy schedule and the blistering heat soldiers at the Lashkar Gah base stopped work to reach out to their nearest and dearest.

Between guard shifts and maintaining vehicles, the soldiers sent videos back to loved ones in the UK via the internet to be watched on Christmas Day.

From the Helmand Province base, one festive message comes from Accrington soldier, Craftsman Matthew Bailey.

Cfn Bailey, attached to the 2 Royal Anglians Poachers, told how he missed his family and was thinking of everyone at home.

His job is to maintain, repair and manufacture battle winning aircraft, tanks and weapons.

In his Christmas message, he appears with tanks in the background, wearing a festive jumper. He said: “Merry Christmas to all my family and friends. Christmas won’t be the same without you.”

From Blackburn, Gunner Mason Smith also has a message for those at home. Stood in front of a concrete wall strung with tinsel he said: “I would just like to say hello to all my family. Just take care of yourselves and know I can’t wait to see you.

“I want to say Merry Christmas to my mum Shirley, my dad Joe, my sister Jennifer and to all my brothers.”

As UK forces withdraw from Afghanistan, the Lashkar Gah base is due to close in the new year. As Afghan Forces take responsibility for security in the area the UK troops have been focussing on the logistics of getting their kit back home.