THE Military Cross has been awarded to a Hampshire soldier involved in negotiating the controversial rescue of two Special Forces soldiers illegally arrested in Iraq.

Lieutenant Colonel James Woodham of the Royal Anglian Regiment - now serving with the Defence Logistics Organisation at Andover - conducted delicate talks to help free the soldiers held at Jamiat police station.

The men had been arrested in Basra for allegedly killing a local policeman and wounding another.

Lt Col Woodham, who was a Major at the time, maintained a constant flow of information and displayed the highest levels of leadership and composure in a "highly-charged" environment.

His citation reads: "There is no doubt that the actions of Major Woodham helped to ensure the safety of the negotiation team and create the conditions for the subsequent rescue of the two detained soldiers."

The arrested soldiers were freed in a controversial operation which saw British troops bulldozing the wall of a police station jail.