An Esher officer from the Parachute Regiment is working alongside American troops in the United States to aid international relations.

Lieutenant Luke Shaw, of 3rd Battalion, is on an eight-week-long exercise with nearly 1,000 British soldiers in Fort Bragg, North Carolina.

The point of the exercise is to develop the ability of both units to deploy as a joint force if needed in an international crises.

The 26-year-old said: "The exercise is about training together to deepen the relationship between our airborne forces so that we are ready to deploy on operations side-by-side. We share the same role, but there are difference between how we operate and it's important that we understand each other.

"A training exercise always has quiet moments and we're learning a lot just through talking to the American soldiers and bouncing questions back and forth."

The training culminates in a simulated mission where 1,900 British and American troops parachute into a troubled region and work side-by-side.

Lt Shaw, who went to Kings College School in Wimbledon, has been in the Army for 18 months.