EDDISBURY

AS 45,000 British servicemen and women are preparing to risk their lives to disarm Saddam Hussein and uphold the rule of international law, it is vital that the public and politicians of all persuasions give our armed forces their full and unconditional support.

We must send our troops a clear message - that the British people and our Government stand full-square behind you.

We back you. We believe in you - you are in our thoughts and prayers - God speed.

We must be resolute in our actions and set out point-by-point why this conflict is absolutely necessary - to protect the British people, our allies and those living in the Middle East from the chemical and biological weapons which we know Saddam Hussein has and is refusing to destroy.

These are weapons of mass destruction that are capable of killing in a single attack, not thousands as was the case of 9/11 but tens if not hundreds of thousands of people.

After 12 years and the passing of 17 UN Resolutions Saddam Hussein is still refusing to disarm as required by UN Resolution 1441.

Some people say that we should wait until we are attacked, but with these types of weapons - anthrax, nerve agents, mustard gas, small pox, plague and Ebola - that is a risk we cannot afford to take.

This is not a time or issue on which to play party politics.