SOLDIERS from Catterick Garrison, in North Yorkshire have been told to prepare to leave for Iraq by the end of the week.

All leave has been cancelled for the soldiers, who will head for the Middle East on Friday.

The Northern Echo can reveal that soldiers from Five Regiment based at Marne Barracks at Catterick Garrison will be included in the new deployment of troops.

It is understood a meeting will be held tonight to tell the soldiers' families of the plans, although an Army spokes-man was unable last night to confirm the announcement.

Meanwhile, services firm Amec last night said it would still be sending workers to Iraq to rebuild water and sewage systems, despite a week of spiralling violence.

Amec, which has a site in Darlington, has won contracts from the US Department of Defence worth £1bn to carry out the work.

The company confirmed that workers from the North-East could be involved in the projects. Last night a spokes-man said the company still planned to carry out the work, despite several international hostages being taken by kidnappers in Iraq in the past week.

The company said it was determined to press ahead, as the number of overseas hostages reached 40.

Workers at Amec have volunteered for the chance to go and work on the Iraqi contracts and the spokesman confirmed the company was sifting through applications.

He said: "The contract is still going ahead. Obviously the situation changes all the time but it is still going ahead. We haven't actually started work yet.

"We have a handful of people over there at the moment but we will be ready to mobilise more when needed. The security is already in hand. In addition to the security forces over there we have our own security arrangements.