TERRITORIAL Army soldiers based in Blackburn have been named the best in the North West in an annual military skills competition.

The B Company from the 4th Battalion the Duke of Lancaster's Regiment, which trains at the TA Centre in Blackburn, scooped first place in the Derby Trophy 2007.

It competed against nine other TA units from the North West.

None of the winners had previously taken part in the Derby Trophy, held in the training areas of Catterick Garrison, Yorkshire.

The team included Lance Corporal Jason Hinsley, 25, a computer programmer from Longridge; Kingsman Jack Barron, 19, a DJ and customer support representative from Bamber Bridge; and Kingsman Stephen Tester, 23, a tree surgeon from Ramsbottom.

Each team of eight soldiers had to complete 13 different tests based on a fictional civil war scenario.

Tasks included saving casualties while under enemy fire, rescuing kidnapped journalists, clearing minefields, and delivering ammunition boxes to the front line after navigating a course through a training area housing estate, which included an unpleasant crawl through disused sewage pipes.

Lance Corporal Hinsley said: "We wanted to win it because, for the last two or three years, other units have been winning it, so this year we made sure we put in a proper effort.

"It was hard going but, on the final presentation, when they called out our names, our faces just lit up.

"We were made up with the result. It makes all the hard work we put in worth the effort."

The soldiers took home to Blackburn the solid silver Derby Trophy and a wooden plaque each.

D Company from 4th Battalion the Duke of Lancaster's Regiment, which trains in Manchester, finished third.

TA soldiers serve the military part-time in the evenings and weekends, alongside their day jobs.