ROYAL Marines took to the streets of Lympstone for a two-day training exercise.

The Commando Training Centre held an exercise in the village for young officers which took place last Tuesday and Wednesday, October 26 and 27.

The training was held to help future Royal Marines prepare for the complexities of counter insurgency.

More than 40 young officers, armed with weapons, took part. The exercises had been planned in conjunction with Lympstone Parish Council as well as the emergency services.

Brig Ged Salzano, the commandant of the Commando Training Centre, said: “The training not only serves to prepare Royal Marines for success when dealing with future security challenges but it will also strengthen our links with the local community.

“The Royal Marines are at the forefront of tactical thinking and innovative training, and this novel exercise was an example of how we are addressing the complexities of modern security situations.”

The training was designed to expose Royal Marine officers to the challenges of operating within a society.

Major Andy Watkins, the commanding training officer, said: “The exercise involved deploying officers into the village in support of local authorities who were struggling to cope with the threat from a fictitious low intensity insurgency.”