THE future for Folkestone's Gurkha soldiers will become clearer today when an announcement is made in the House of Commons.

Fears were raised earlier in the week that the British Army was considering cutting the Nepalese soldiers from the ranks as part of major changes to the country's armed forces.

Defence secretary Geoff Hoon is due to address the Commons about the elite band of soldiers, hundreds of whom now form an important part of the town's community.

This week the town's political leaders have all voiced their support for the fighters.

Folkestone and Hythe MP Michael Howard said of the rumours: "The Gurkhas have performed an heroic role in the British Army for a very long time.

"Any suggestion that they should be reduced from two battalions to one will be greeted with widespread dismay.

"If the Conservative Party wins the General Election the future of the Gurkhas will then be safe."

The Gurkhas have been serving the Crown since 1815 and have been based at the Shorncliffe Barracks for four years.

Shepway Liberal Democrat Peter Carroll said: "The armed forces are being terribly stretched. The idea of cuts is totally inappropriate.

"I will be campaigning against any cuts in the Gurkhas and I urge all local people to support this campaign."

However, Labour's prospective parliamentary candidate Maureen Tomison said: "I understand there to be no foundation to this threat. Obviously if it is true, I would fight like hell."

An Army spokesman said he could not pre-empt any Government statement.

The uncertainty comes in the same week it was revealed the Government is willing to look sympathetically at UK citizenship applications from Gurkhas who retired from the Army before July 1, 1997.

A campaign, spearheaded in the district early in the autumn, was successful in considering former Gurkha soldiers for citizenship after that date, but earlier cases may now be looked at.