Three Cleveland soldiers are taking part in Operation Harvest in Bosnia.

The operation aims to find and collect illegally held weapons nine years after the war ended.

Lieutenant Jonathan Hall, 29, of Cleveland, Corporal Stephen Whitehouse, 36, of Stockton, and Lance Corporal Chris Blood, 19, of Loftus, are on a six-month tour of duty in the Balkans with the Prince of Wales' Own Regiment.

Weapons found range from small arms, munitions and grenades to mines and missiles, much of which was abandoned in out buildings and arms dumps.

Some of the weapons were knowingly concealed for future use.

L Cpl Blood said: "This is my first time here so I have nothing to compare it with, but what does surprise me is the amount of illegal weapons we are still finding.

"We even found some missiles in a shed recently.

"The people are very friendly though and the lady who had the missiles was very happy when we took them away."

Cpl Whitehouse said: "I was here during the war and can see a big difference after the years of stability and help we have given.

"There are a lot of new buildings, although some villages remain wrecked they are usually in mined areas, and people are getting on with their lives."