WITH fears of a swine flu epidemic rising, part-time soldiers based at Bexleyheath’s Territorial Army centre in Bexleyheath have just spent two weeks on a training exercise based around a major epidemic.

More than 100 TA members travelled to Swynnerton in Staffordshire, where they were told a flu epidemic had lead to a total breakdown of the country’s communications systems.

The soldiers, who belong to 265 Squadron, part of 71st (Yeomanry) Signal Regiment, had to set up a secure mobile communication network across the region in support of the government’s strategy to fight the epidemic.

The role of the regiment, which currently has members in Afghanistan, is to provide secure communications in the event of a national disaster and it also operates with specialist equipment to support the emergency services.

Squadron medic Andy Turner, 27 an electrical installer from Bexley Village, hopes to be operational in Afghanistan next year.

He was on the exercise together with detachment commander Corporal Jonathan Moore, 28 a security consultant and Corporal Chris Larney, 45, a self-employed builder, both from Bexleyheath.

They are electrical mechanical engineers in the TA.