THE scorching desert sun of Oman beats down on a Herefordshire soldier who is helping to put vital infrastructure in place in preparation for Britain's biggest overseas exercise for 15 years.

Craftsman Paul Colebatch of the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers, attached to 6 Supply Regiment, The Royal Logistics Corps, is one of more than one thousand of Britain's servicemen and women preparing for the arrival of 22,000 troops taking part in Exercise Saif Sareea II.

The exercise officially kicks off this month, but enablers have been in Oman since May to ensure that everything is up and running before troops arrive for the testing training event organised in conjunction with Omani forces.

Crews from The Royal Regiment of Engineers and The Royal Logistics Corps have been battling through the hostile desert climate and sand storms to ensure that hard-standings and roads are laid for the hundreds of vehicles arriving in the desert during the coming months.

Building work has also gone on to complete the tents, accommodation and ablutions needed by the thousands of servicemen and women who will travel through the main camp areas before the exercise ends in November.

Paul, 19, from Leominster is a qualified vehicle mechanic, responsible for ensuring that vital equipment is kept in perfect working order. He said: "We had to set the workshop up when we got here, and the heat came as a bit of a shock when we got off the plane - it took about a week to get used to it.

"It's good experience out here. I'm learning a hell of a lot because different things go wrong with the vehicles in this climate."

The former Minster College pupil joined the Army in 1998 and has served in Germany, Holland and Switzerland. Paul is due to complete his Oman tour in November. His parents Phillip and Susan live in Leominster.