'Suddenly, they’re out, they’re hunting. They're sat in trees, they're watching you'

Memories of Helmand and the Taliban

Dear Millers — today’s story is about local men, Afghanistan and the deep scars of war. Mollie spoke to two Greater Manchester servicemen who served in the country that has just fallen back into the hands of the Taliban, one of whom is still in the army. Their descriptions are poignant and harrowing. “We did some pretty awful stuff in Afghanistan that I’ll probably never, ever speak about,” one of the men told us.

This morning, the government said it was considering accepting more Afghan refugees via a new resettlement scheme. And at a press conference not long ago, Manchester’s council leader Sir Richard Leese said incoming refugees would be welcome in Greater Manchester. “They’re on their way,” he told journalists. “We’re expecting planes to be landing any moment. And no we’re certainly not going to be turning our backs on people.”