Give me a chance, says Dereham ex-soldier

A former soldier who has battled to overcome combat-related stress is now fighting to find a new job.

Peter Doolan, 30, from Dereham in Norfolk, served with the Royal Irish Regiment for eight years. It was in his second tour of Iraq that the stress began to take its toll.

The number of recent ex-servicemen and women needing support for combat-related stress is predicted to increase five-fold in as many years.

The charity Combat Stress, which supports those with mental health problems, says the vast majority of its new clients are veterans of Afghanistan and Iraq.