AMONG the troops keeping the army's biggest guns in Bosnia in working order is Bury soldier Staff Sergeant Mark Ferguson (34) of the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers.

He is serving with 4 Regiment Royal Artillery as part of the British contribution to the Nato Implementation Force, IFOR.

Mark's been in the country since Christmas and is in command of a 12-man fitter section repairing the Battery's vehicles.

"They bend 'em and we mend 'em," he said.

"We had to get to work here as soon as we arrived. We moved into an old sawmill which had a big hangar littered with broken vehicles and parts.

"We used a recovery vehicle to remove everything, and then set up a workshop.

"Although we are working under difficult and arduous conditions we still have to stick to Health and Safety at Work regulations.

"It's all a challenge at the end of the day, but there's a good team spirit and improvisation is the key to things - and the boys certainly know how to do that at times of need!"

Married to Michelle, who is in Osnabruck, Germany, with their four-year-old son Joshua, Mark joined the army in 1985 after working as a car parts sales rep for P & E Finney. He was educated at Derby High School and his mother, Joan, still lives in Bury

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