A NORTH-EAST soldier is helping to train the Afghan army of the future.

Lance Corporal Keith Wilson, of the 1st Battalion The Green Howards, who is from Hartlepool, is in Kabul working as an instructor.

"The soldiers that we teach are very nice and are extremely keen to learn,'' said the father-of-one. "They are now starting to take control of their army and fulfil the roles that they are trained in.

"I am very impressed with the progress that they have made so far.''

The instructors travel to Kabul Military Training Centre (KMTC) every day to work. Conditions are improving in the country because of the amount of construction work taking place.

Lance Cpl Wilson said: "The only problem that this causes is the amount of dust that is created by the vehicles moving around. To combat this there are large tankers driving around dowsing the ground with water."

The area used for training is littered with the remains of abandoned Soviet and Taliban armour.

"The training area is dominated by a large feature called The Gharib Ghar, which has a man-made cave cut into it from the Russian invasion," he said. The Green Howards are working with the UN-mandated International SecurityAssistance Force, which is helping the Afghan Transitional Authority maintain security in the Kabul area.