HUNDREDS of soldiers from the county are flying out to the Gulf, including members of the

Royal Engineers band from Brompton Barracks in Gillingham who would act as a decontamination unit in the event of war.

The bandsmen and women will divide into special platoons to deal with possible contamination from biological warfare if full-blown conflict with Iraq breaks out.

The army says the 30 personnel will leave for the Middle East " in a matter of days".

Army spokesman Paul Beard said: "It is standard practice for people in army bands to take on other roles such as first aid."

They are fully trained for this. It is hoped by everyone that war will not break out but we are prepared if it does."

The flying out of the bandsmen and women is part of the largest mobilisation of troops since the Second World War from Kent to boost the British Army task force in the Gulf.

Soldiers from the 36 Royal Engineers left their Maidstone base a fortnight ago taking about 150 different types of vehicles.

The deployment also includes 600 servicemen and women from the 1st Parachute Regiment based at Dover and the 600 from the Royal Irish Regiment based at Howe Barracks in Canterbury.

Canterbury is also supplying Army reservists from the 3rd Battalion Princess of Wales' Royal Regiment from Leros Barracks.

Defence Secretary Geoff Hoon had last month announced his decision to send 30,000 ground troops to the Gulf to pressurise Saddam Hussein to give up his chemical and biological weapons.