I WRITE to offer my support to the Save Our Regiment campaign.

Being a former member of the regiment I feel I can speak with some knowledge and experience of the professionalism of the Queen's Lancashire Regiment.

I saw active service in 1987 when the regiment conducted a tour of Belfast.

During the tour the regiment received two fatal casualties and more received injuries from other incidents.

The period of the tour was the busiest since 1972 when 12 Infantry Battalions were stationed in Belfast, though in 1987 there was only the Queen's Lancashire Regiment in Belfast and the Duke of Wellington who were stationed on the outskirts.

The result was one of the most successful tours during the Northern Ireland campaign, which I am very proud to have taken part in. The regiment continues to conduct itself in a highly professional manner. This has been evident from its recent tour of Iraq.

The loss of the regiment would not only be a great loss to Lancashire and its identity, but to the whole nation. I hope the government and the MoD don't make a rash decision

STEPHEN BALDAM, Lane Ends, Nelson.