A defence correspondent has been enduring temperatures of -42 degrees centigrade while reporting on marines in training.

Tristan Nichols, from Plymouth daily The Herald, enjoyed an eight-day trip to Norway where he filed ten page leads and video from the Arctic Circle.

Marines from Plymouth-based 3 Commando Brigade's carried out training exercises in temperatures well below freezing.

Tristan took part in some of the exercises including riding in offshore raiding craft, sniper exercises, skiing and other training drills in the field.

He said: "It's important that we cover these exercises first hand so that the many families back in Plymouth know what their sons, husbands, brothers or boyfriends are going through.

"I was out there for Valentine's Day and many of the guys were arranging for flowers and gifts to be sent to their loved ones."

In what was Tristan's third trip to Norway, he filed copy from a laptop over a satellite link but the signal was so weak that it took him half an hour to upload one image.

It was also so cold that writing with a pen was impossible because the ink froze when it hit the page.

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