THE World has teamed up with the Cheshire Regiment to offer friends and family a chance to post messages of support for the troops in Iraq.

The 1st Battalion of the regiment has just taken control of Basra.

One officer said: "The troops had a fast start to the tour with a suicide bombing followed by a roadside bomb, right in the middle of our area of responsibility!"

Five soldiers from the Royal Welsh Fusiliers were injured in the attack.

Last Thursday also saw a foreign civilian, possibly South African, killed in a drive-by shooting.

The World's website now has a message board where you can post your good wishes.

Officers estimate up to a fifth of the 625 soldiers are from Widnes, Runcorn or Warrington and they are assisted by 114 soldiers from the King's and Cheshire TA regiment.

The battalion's main task is to ensure a secure environment as well as training the local police, military and emergency services.

Their six-month deployment will run until November, through the potentially difficult changeover to a provisional Iraqi government on June 30.

B Company is looking after the famous thieves' market, Al Ashar, while C company is patrolling 800,000 forcibly resettled Marsh Arabs living in an area of four square kilometres.

l If you have friends or family serving with the battalion, or just want to wish the soldiers all the best and a safe return, log on to www.thisiswidnes.co.uk or www.thisisruncorn.co.uk and click on the regimental badge.