A HELICOPTER pilot from a village near Pershore has recently started a six-month tour of Afghanistan.

However, Captain Ian Cameron will be keeping his feet firmly on the ground during his time in Helmand.

The 30-year-old has decided to help train members of the Afghan National Police.

Capt Cameron, who is originally from Eckington, is attached to the Second Battalion The Royal Gurkha Rifles and is living and working alongside uniformed Afghan police officers.

He said: “I’m more used to seeing places from above so it’s refreshing to be in among what is happening on the ground.

"The work of the PMAG is central to the development of the Afghan National Police and the security of Afghanistan and it’s great to help a country that wants to get better.”

Mr Cameron joined the Army in 2003 and since qualifying as a pilot in 2005, he has served in Northern Ireland, Germany, Belize, Poland and Iraq. Before his deployment to Afghanistan, he completed a two-year flying post in Brunei in South East Asia.

This is his first tour of Afghanistan and is the first time he has had to work closely with another nation’s security forces.

“It is not always easy and sometimes can get quite frustrating, but the Afghans are committed to their jobs and determined to learn about how they can help keep the local people safe.”

Mr Cameron, who now lives in Bretforton, will be based in Lashkar Gah until September 2011.

After completing his tour, he is looking forward to returning home to see his wife, Emma, and two young sons, George and Henry.