A DORCHESTER policeman who has been serving as part of the Territorial Army in Afghanistan will receive a hero’s welcome tomorrow.

PC Nigel Scott will be returning home after a six-month posting in Camp Bastion, Helmand.

Nigel and other soldiers from Corunna Company 6th Battalion Rifles will fly back to England and be greeted by a homecoming parade through the streets of Exeter – the home of the 6th Rifles.

His proud wife Linda and their two sons Thomas, eight, and Luke, 12, say they cannot wait until he comes back to them.

Linda said: “The parade will be an emotional day for everyone – especially the boys seeing their dad.”

Nigel, 47, has served in Dorset Police for 28 years and worked as a traffic officer in the Dorchester area.

In Afghanistan he has worked in a number of roles including a driver and medic.

Nigel only joined the TA two years ago and his wife Linda said they were both surprised he was called up so quickly.

In 2001, Nigel worked abroad for 14 months on a secondment with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in Bosnia.

Linda said: “It is really different from when he went to Bosnia because then it was after the conflict and it was more getting the Bosnian police back on track.

“It is harder knowing that he is out there because of everything you see and hear on the television.

“You just have to switch off and not let yourself get worried every time you hear about soldiers being hurt or killed on the news.”

Linda said it is especially hard on the children because they can go up to three weeks without hearing from their father.

Nigel’s eldest son Luke has spent hours making a train set for his dad and said that he can’t wait for his dad to see it when he walks through the door.

Linda said: “Nigel can’t wait to come home – I think he wasn’t prepared for how hard it has been and the number of casualties there has been.

He is basically living in a tent in the desert and people are coming in injured daily.”

At Camp Bastion, Nigel helped organise the Echo-backed shoebox campaign and made sure the troops had a present to open on Christmas day.

When he arrives home, after nearly a year of active service, he plans to help Councillor Molly Rennie to run the appeal to send out gifts to his colleagues still serving in Afghanistan.

In the last year the appeal has successfully sent 390 boxes crammed full of gifts out to service personnel in Afghanistan and Iraq. The majority of the 86 Territorial Army soldiers returning next week took part in the ceremonial march through Dorchester last September.

The Rifles were granted the freedom of Dorchester by the town council.

Also this week the soldiers from 1st Battalion of the Rifles, many from Devon and Dorset, returned home from a six-month tour of Afghanistan.

They were greeted by families and friends at their home base in Beachley Barracks near Chepstow on Wednesday.

  • If you know anyone from either 1st Battalion or 6th Battalion of the Rifles returning home this week please call reporter Miriam Phillips on 01305 830986.