A NORTH-EAST soldier is helping to refurbish a school and extend an airport runway in a central American country.
Staff Sergeant Kenneth Watson, 41, from Redcar, east Cleveland, is in Belize with a squadron of Royal Engineers as part of a three-month exercise.
The runway needs extending because Belize has been hit by tropical storms twice in the past three years and the runway has to be long enough to take planes big enough for evacuation purposes.
The school, in a rural community, is in need of a complete renovation.
Sgt Watson, right, is enthusiastic about his team's job.
"Helping the community here gives us the greatest satisfaction," he said.
"We are here to test our logistical, planning and building skills. But when you see the smiles on the faces of the locals, you know that we are doing something right."
Sgt Watson joined the Army in 1985.
His parents live in Redcar.
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