A KENT MP has welcomed the announcement that the Government is to award campaign medals to soldiers who served in the Iraq war.

Faversham and Mid Kent MP Hugh Robertson (Con) has been calling for the Ministry of Defence to give details of its plans for campaign medals for several months.

He has tabled a number of questions on the matter to ministers and raised the issue in Parliament. Ministers have now revealed that the first of what will be known as the Telic medal will be awarded in the Spring.

Members of the armed forces and MOD civilians who died during their service in Kuwait or Iraq will automatically qualify for the Iraq medal.

Mr Robertson, who served as Adjutant of a main battle tank regiment during the first Gulf War, said: "I am delighted that my Parliamentary campaign for medals for the Iraq war has been successful.

"It is still wrong that the MoD took ten months to make this announcement - when it was done in just a couple in 1991 - but it is still extremely good news.”

He added: “Medals are very important to our Armed Forces as they are the official recognition from the country of the service they have given. All those that fought in Iraq richly deserve this recognition."

Armed forces minister Adam Ingram said: “The medal recognises the collective bravery and achievements of the military and civilian personnel who risked so much to remove Saddam Hussein’s oppressive regime.”