The last remaining Guardsmen from 1st Battalion Scots Guards Battle Group are heading to Afghanistan on Saturday to join their colleagues as part of 4th Mechanized Brigade.

The Battle Group is based in Lashkar Gah, the provincial capital, and will take over from their predecessors next week.

One part of the Battalion has been in Helmand for almost three months. Right Flank deployed in early January as part of 11 Brigade on Operation Herrick 11 and are the armoured infantry company, working out of the Warrior armoured fighting vehicles.

Battle Group spokesman Captain Malcolm Dalzel-Job, 28, from Rosyth said: "The Battle Group will be undertaking a unique role during the tour. Like all ISAF forces in Afghanistan it will be partnering the Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF) in everything it does.

"However, as well as what is known as 'holding ground' in Lashkar Gah we will also be responsible for partnering the ANSF at provisional and district levels, and for the training of new Afghan National Police officers at their provincial training centre."