A PROUD Kent grandfather is facing a traumatic time as he waits for news of his two sons and a grandson preparing to take on Saddam Hussein's troops in the Gulf.

William Ralph, 74, is avidly watching news reports for updates. But Mr Ralph, of Longtens Cottages, Shorne, near Gravesend, totally supports the war effort.

Of his sons Kevin, 42, and Andrew, 38, and 29-year-old grandson William Ford, he said: "Of course I'm worried about them and would rather have them at home with me, but I honestly believe what they are doing is the right thing."

"Kevin is a reservist but Andrew and William are full-time soldiers," he said. "I got a phone call from Kevin and he said they just can't wait for something to happen."

Mr Ralph is no stranger to seeing his family operating in the most dangerous places in the world. Grandson William worked on bomb disposal in Bosnia and Andrew fought in the Gulf during the last Iraqi conflict 12 years ago.

"I just think it's a shame that the job wasn't finished back then," he stressed. An MoD spokesman could not confirm how rare it was to have three close family members fighting in the same conflict.