A Colchester-based Para has contracted malaria while on operation in war-torn Sierra Leone.

The soldier, who has not been named, is a Gurkha with 2nd Battalion the Parachute Regiment and went to the Colchester medical centre at the Garrison for treatment.

An Army spokesman said his condition was "stable and comfortable" and he had been at the medical centre for 48 hours.

Soldiers returning from Sierra Leone were told to look out for flu-like symptoms.

Two hundred troops from 2 Para, based at Meeanee Barracks in Mersea Road, joined the 1st Battalion The Parachute Regiment and their duties involved guarding Lungi Airport near the capital Freetown.

They were sent out on very short notice and took tablets to protect them from malaria as soon as they knew they were on their way to the troubled country and continued taking the course of medication whilst there.

But the medication provides 90 to 95 per cent protection from the illness and some troops reacted to it and had to take another drug which provides 75 per cent protection.

2 Para returned to Colchester at the end of May.

A further 120 Colchester-based troops provided communications, logistic and medical support to the Army in Sierra Leone.

They were from 13 Air Assault Support Regiment, 16 Close Support Medical Regiment, 156 Provost Company and 216 Signal Squadron.

Most have now returned to Colchester.

Converted for the new archive on 19 November 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.