Lt Col Toby Gray, commanding officer with the 1st Battalion The Coldstream Guards, spoke to the Evening News at the end of a two- week rest period away from the front line which he spent visiting friends and family.

The battalion will be welcomed back to Scarborough for a freedom parade during this year’s Armed Forces Day on Saturday, June 26, alongside the 2nd Battalion The Yorkshire Regiment, to mark the end of the current Afghanistan tour.

Lt Col Gray, who celebrated his 45th birthday during his time in the UK, said his troops had made significant progress in the area around Gereshk and Lashkar Gah.

He added: “I am delighted with the way it is going and we have made significant progress in the area.

‘‘We have been doing quite a lot recently to encourage farming. We are trying to make a difference to the local farmers – they just lack the tools.”

Because of the lack of tools, Lt Col Gray said farmers have been shown how to use fairly simple implements such as seed drills.

He said: “How can we make the local population richer? This can be through improvements in lifestyle, in the quality of life and security as well as how their children are educated.”

Last year it was reported that soldiers from Scarborough had helped to create a temporary school in Spin Majid for local Afghan children.

Lt Col Gray said: “It is the first time in 20 years they’ve had a school to teach their children. It is still under canvas.

‘‘On day one there were four teachers and eight children, but by the end of the week there were 150 children.”

He added that work to build a more permanent school was progressing well and local contractors were being used. “The locals are quite supportive of us. The majority of the local population are glad with what we are doing.

“As well as the school we are also building a road – for the first time across contested battle space since the Dhofar Campaign.