County soldiers are preparing to put their lives on the line in Afghanistan, the Leicester Mercury can reveal.

Troops from the 2nd Battalion, Royal Anglian Regiment have been told to prepare for war and could fly out as early as the spring.

The news comes as Britain marks one of the bloodiest months so far in the battle against the Taliban.

Anticipating the difficult mission ahead, the battalion's commanding officer, Lieutenant Colonel Ralph Wooddisse, said: "They will be ready for it."

Conditions will be extreme – with the constant threat from insurgents, combined with harsh living conditions and hot weather.

So far the soldiers' training has included storming compounds under live fire and carrying out checks for roadside bombs - which have significantly contributed to British casualty rates.

In October, they will undergo a month-long exercise in Kenya, to prepare them for working in intense heat.

But the troops will not know what their role in Afghanistan will be until they arrive in Cyprus, in April or May.

They will be the theatre reserve battalion – meaning they must be ready to be deployed at a moment's notice.

They do not yet know if they will be in Helmand Province – one of the most dangerous parts of the country – or the mountains where terrorist group Al Qaeda is known to have had bases.

The battalion – which recruits heavily from Leicestershire – has recently finished a six-month tour in Iraq.

No-one was killed during that tour, although Hugglescote soldier Private Adam Morris, 19, died in a roadside bomb attack during a previous 2nd Battalion tour, to Basra, in 2006.

In 2003, the battalion was in Afghanistan's capital city, Kabul.

On this latest mission, they will be in the warzone for between four and six months.

This month has been one of the bloodiest for British soldiers since the allied invasion of Afghanistan.

So far, 17 troops have died – the highest monthly toll since September 2006.

About 80 county soldiers are among the 500 making up the battalion, who have just completed a three-week training exercise, in Sennelager, Germany.

Speaking to the Mercury in Germany, battalion commanding officer Lt Col Wooddisse, said: "Knowing my soldiers as I do, they will be ready for it.

"For me, Afghanistan doesn't hold too many surprises but, again, we don't underestimate the changes out there. Recent events concentrate the mind but we also have a job to do. For a young man it can be an exciting prospect going to war, but the advice that I would tell them is to work as hard as they can."

Lieutenant Tom Aspinall, 25, from Thurcaston, who has a girlfriend, Katie Baggott, back home, said: "I'm looking forward to getting out to Afghanistan but, obviously, you have to be careful about what you wish for, looking at recent events."

Pte Richard Frazer, 24, of Aylestone, Leicester, served in Afghanistan in 2003.

He said: "It's difficult out there and there are always new challenges to take in.

"When I heard about the guys recently who died all in one day, it was hard – and it's hard for our families back home."

Major James Hart, second in command, said: "In Iraq, the enemy always wanted to survive, but in Afghanistan they don't care about that. There, we will be dealing with people who are friends with hardship – conditions the average man in Leicester will never experience.

"This exercise in Germany was a nine-hole golf course and Kenya will be the full 18 holes – Afghanistan will be our first competition."

Lt Col Wooddisse said the British Army would be in Afghanistan for years.

He said: "While you can never be sure what's round the corner, I would say five to 10 years is a realistic figure. When the government of Afghanistan can stand on its own two feet throughout the country, it will be a better place."

Throughout this week, we will be talking to the soldiers and their families about what lies ahead.