DORCHESTER servicemen held an impromptu school reunion in the Iraqi desert - with the forces' sweetheart as special guest.

Senior aircraftsman Giles Daniels, 28, was the RAF's official photographer during a morale-boosting visit by model Nell McAndrew.

Peering through the lens, he spotted another familiar face and bumped into his old school pal, lance corporal Karl Heathwood of the Royal Logistic Corps, who was also on a tour of duty in a different part of the war-torn country.

The friends, who attended the Thomas Hardye School together, joined the school's cadets force, where Giles rose to regimental sergeant major and received the Wilkinson Sword.

They leapt at the opportunity to have a snap taken with Ms McAndrew, who was famously one of the models for the Lara Croft character in the computer game Tomb Raider.

Whenever the pair are back on leave they meet up in the county town and Karl was even Giles' best man at his wedding to Laura 18 months ago.

Giles' proud dad Howard, 55, a director, who lives with wife Sandra in Chestnut Way, said everyone was amazed at the coincidence.