FRONTLINE troops in Iraq want to kit out local militia in North-East football shirts so they can tell them from potential attackers.

The idea for the makeshift uniforms came from a Sunderland fan, so the civilian guards are wearing the distinctive red and white stripes of the Black Cats.

Avid Sunderland fan Alan Dawson is a sergeant in the 100 Pioneer Squadron serving in the strategic port of Umm Qasr.

As British and US forces have been targets for terrorists in Iraq, Sgt Dawson and his men, including many from the North-East, decided the best way to tell potential terrorists from friendly locals was to hand out the shirts.

They hope a shipment of strips - and Sunderland's recent run of victories - could secure a new fan base in football-mad Iraq.

Sgt Dawson, a 39-year-old Territorial Army veteran who lives with wife, Michelle, and ten-year-old step-daughter, Amy, in Castletown, Sunderland, has been in Iraq since June.

He said: "The Iraqi militia have their AK47s but no uniform. At the moment, we can't tell them apart from normal Iraqis, themselves armed with AK47s.

"If Sunderland fans can send us any old tops they have lying about we will issue them to the civilian Iraqis guards who are on the gates, so we can identify them."