Officers from Croydon police station have launched a campaign to send care packages to London’s soldiers in Afghanistan.

To commemorate the first National Armed Service Day, Sergeant Darin Birmingham, whose son is a Royal Engineer, has begun fundraising to send care packages to the soldiers of the 2nd Battalion Royal Regiment of Fusiliers, currently based in Musa Qal’eh, Helmand Province.

While some of the soldiers live in Musa Qal’eh others live in compounds on the outskirts, subsisting on ration packs and limited home comforts.

Post is patchy at best and is delivered on a weekly basis by a convoy of tanks and armoured personnel carriers.

Sgt Birmingham said: “It is about time we did something for those serving out there working their socks off in the heat.

“We did this last year for the 1st and 2nd Battalion Princess of Wales Royal Regiment, and this year we thought because the Croydon Guardian went out to see them, we’d send some stuff over to the lads in 2nd Battalion Fusiliers.”

According to the soldiers there a whole host of items are needed, not only to fight boredom but also the heat and hunger.

Magazines, sweets (not chocolate) wet wipes, tea, coffee and DVDs will all help, but due to the nature of their work most toiletries must be unscented.

Handwritten letters also more than welcome.

Sgt Birmingham added: “The thing they need most is to know people back home are thinking about them whether they agree with the reason for them being there or not."

If you wish to donate to the campaign please contact hmiller@london.newsquest.co.uk or Sgt Birmingham on 0300 123 1212.

• See the articles filed by our reporter Harry Miller in Afghanistan here