Three Territorial Army (TA) soldiers from South East Cornwall are among five from the region heading for Afghanistan.

Information technology lecturer at Cornwall College Saltash, Private Richard Woodhouse, 45, who joined the TA for 'a new challenge in his life' is among those heading to the troubled country.

The father from Gunnislake has been in the TA for two years and will be leaving his wife and children for a six-month tour of duty.

Joining him will be Lance Corporal Ian Noden, 44, a self-employed project manager, and Lance Corporal Noel Earl, 39, a driver, both from Saltash.

They will spend two weeks training with a reserve force before joining 10 The Queen's Own Gurkha Logistic Regiment, based in Aldershot, Hampshire.

'The guys are filling up the shortfall in the regiment,' said Mark Gibbons, senior staff instructor at the Bodmin TA centre, where the men are based.

'They have volunteered to go and they are all keen.

'They want to go on operations and that is what we train them for.

'I think in regular units it is easier for you as most of it is done for you.

'The TAs have other jobs as well as families and it is not an easy journey for them and I admire them.'

Seven British soldiers have been killed in Afghanistan since the beginning of the month, including Plymouth-born Trooper Joshua Hammond, 19, who was killed on July 1 in the Helmand province.

A total of 176 UK troops have been killed in operations in Afghanistan since 2001.

The volunteer soldiers from Bodmin and Truro's 155 Transport Regiment RLC (V) and 232 (Cornwall) Transport Squadron RLC (V), including father-of-four, Staff Sgt Andy Eke, 40, from Bodmin and student, Lance Corporal Kevin Smith, 24, from Plymouth, will leave for Afghanistan at the beginning of September.