INTREPID MP Lindsay Hoyle admits it's n-ice to be home after a week on marine manouevres in the Arctic Circle.

The Chorley MP flew out to Norway to be put through his paces with the Royal Marines at Asegarden in temperatures of minus 30c.

Mr Hoyle's mission was to sample the lifestyle and conditions of the marines and hear their concerns about the current state of the defence industry.

Along with five other MP's, Mr Hoyle flew from RAF Lyneham in a Hercules helicopter to northern Norway and took part in some gruelling exercises.

He said: "The marines are very dedicated and intelligent people and we're very lucky to have them. It was interesting listening to their points of view.

"They feel they are short of marines and their rations need to be changed. I'm now waiting to hear what the next stage of my training will be."

He said: "After meeting the regiment we went to visit the transport fleet, where I chatted to a marine from Chorley called Steven Marsh.

"Next we were taken to a mountainside to a camp inside the Arctic Circle where we had to dig a snowhole underneath the tent. The temperature was below minus 30 degrees!

"After that we met the amphibious crew and saw their landing crafts in action. It was so cold that the spray was freezing as it came up - and I was told that you'd only survive for two seconds if you fell in.

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