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Mum's bid for free army post
A SCARBOROUGH woman is campaigning for troops, serving in both Afghanistan and Iraq, to have free postage.
Rachael Lightfoot, 26, sends parcels, which are filled with home comforts, to husband David, a sergeant serving with the 2nd Yorkshire Regiment.
She said the parcels can weigh a maximum of 2kg and the postage is free during the run-up to Christmas. Howsever, after the New Year, they will cost 6.50 to send.
Mrs Lightfoot, 26, said she was hoping to post a fibre optic tree, a magic snowman, cake and pudding to the Helmand province in Afghanistan.
But she feels so strongly that the Ministry of Defence should offer free postage that she has lent her support to an online petition.
She said: “I don’t know if they are things that he needs but it’s something that we have got to do. He is really pleased when he gets the parcels, it means a lot to him, it’s a little piece of home.”
Mrs Lightfoot, who lives in the Barrowcliff area with their two children, Imogen, four, and two-year-old Jacob, said this was her husband’s second tour of duty in Afghanistan.
“You do get worried,” she said. “He only phones once a week and if you don’t hear anything you think what could be happening. You can’t dwell too much on it and I have the children to keep me occupied.”
She said her husband was enjoying his time in Afghanistan and he was doing a job he had been trained to do.
Robert Goodwill MP, who represents the Scarborough area, said he agreed, in principle, with the campaign. “The MOD should look at all possible ways that they can improve the lot of serving soldiers,” he said.
“There should be better access to the internet and there should be better satellite phone links.
“They should be looking at other ways that our serving soldiers, who are facing the most arduous conditions since the Second World War, can keep in touch.”
He added it was good that they could receive extra luxuries and essential items could be posted for free.
Mrs Lightfoot said people could sign paper copies of the petition at the Tesco Express in Burniston Road.
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Weather for Scarborough
Saturday 26 May 2012
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