Soldiers' accommodation completed

The 4m building at Marne Barracks will now be home for around 70 soldiers returning from Afghanistan.

Army bosses say it fills a need for more accommodation at the garrison – the largest military base in Europe – and will provide soldiers with a permanent home.

Major Karl Trevelyan, of 5th Regiment Royal Artillery, said: "The new accommodation supplied by Defence Estates for 5 Regiment Royal Artillery, has enabled soldiers currently deploying on operations in Afghanistan every 18 months to have an excellent standard of accommodation with state-of-the-art services whilst in the UK.

"It has also enabled the regiment to guarantee soldiers a permanent home within Marne Barracks. Before the provision of this superb facility our soldiers were forced to pack up their belonging prior to deploying with a guarantee that when they returned they would be accommodated somewhere else in the barracks."

The two-storey building is equipped with solar panels which heat all its water.