A Huntingdon soldier has achieved a prestigious gold medal after battling the elements and extreme fatigue on one of the toughest patrolling challenges the army has to offer. Bombardier Dougie Scott, 26, was part of the 14 Regiment, Royal Artillery team t

A Huntingdon soldier has achieved a prestigious gold medal after battling the elements and extreme fatigue on one of the toughest patrolling challenges the army has to offer.

Bombardier Dougie Scott, 26, was part of the 14 Regiment, Royal Artillery team taking part in Exercise Cambrian Patrol.

The annual event is a highlight of the British Army's training calendar and seen as one of the most demanding patrolling tests for soldiers.

This year's event in the Welsh countryside attracted more than 90 teams from the British Regular and Territorial Army and the Royal Air Force, as well as Canada, Lithuania, Latvia, Denmark, India, France and the Czech Republic.

Each eight-man team has to march 55km, carrying kit and supplies, weighing up to 60lbs, while encountering 'enemy patrols'. The soldiers also have to navigate through the night and link up with friendly agents en-route.

Successful teams are awarded a coveted gold, silver or bronze medal, or certificate of merit, depending on the number of points they have earned throughout their patrol.

Dougie, who was tackling the patrol for the first time, said his new commanding officer had set the team a gold target.

"We've had a team in the patrol for the past two or three years and the best they have done is silver, so it's quite extreme," Dougie said.