BOLTON soldier Derek Nelson is all set for a bit of well-earned "R and R" after completing a gruelling six-month tour of troubled Kosovo.

Derek, 24, is a corporal in The Royal Regiment of Fusiliers.

And he will soon be swapping the mean streets of Pristina for the relative luxury of the regimental base in Celle, Germany, for some much-need leave.

Derek's regiment were given the onerous task of keeping the peace in Pristina and the surrounding countryside as part of the multi-national Kosovan Force, KFOR.

And during his time in the battle-weary Balkan state, Derek and his cohorts have been responsible for unearthing hidden caches of arms and ammunition.

The Fusiliers had hairy times when they came under attack by a mob as they guarded a factory in Mitrovica.

The factory was belching out lead fumes at a rate more than 200 times higher than standards laid down by the World Health Organisation.

The United Nations had ordered the plant's temporary closure which is where Derek and colleagues stepped into the breach.

The regiment have also given protection to Serbs in areas where they are under threat.

This has included guarding the flats where they live, escorting children to school and providing an armed guard for a twice-weekly bus journey to the shops.

A spokesman for the regiment said: "It has been a hard and at times dangerous job, but every Fusilier has felt that he has been doing a really important and worthwhile job. When you consider that many of our soliders are in their late teens they have certainly demonstrated a maturity beyond their years."

The Fusiliers will hand over their duties in Kosovo to the Royal Marines and next April will return to England to the regiment's new base at North Luffenham in Rutland.