It was a small but important beginning -- the first joint British military and Iraqi police patrol in the country.

Jabar, 45, is the only policeman in the 10,000-strong town in southern Iraq, and he only took up the job on Saturday. On Friday, he was a fireman.

The British Royal Marines, now tasked to restore the 80 kilometresmiles) south of Basra to some kind of normality, believe it is the way to pull Iraq out of the destructive anarchy left by the fall of Saddam Hussein's regime.

As the tools of Saddam's Baath Party, the town's entire police force fled when the war began, leaving it without any law and order.

The town was the very first patch of Iraqi soil captured by the coalition on the first night of the ground war, by a joint US Navy Seal and Royal Marine helicopter assault.

So it is fitting that Al Faw has now claimed another first, but now in the war to win the peace.

"British forces in Iraq haven't got anywhere near enough men to police Al Faw, Basra or anywhere else properly ourselves," said British Captain Simon Rogers, leading a patrol of 45 marines -- and one Iraqi.

"The locals seemed to have found the sight hilarious. But we are sowing the seeds and that is what matters," he said.

By Sunday night a second policeman had been recruited, untarnished by any links to the former regime, and there are plans to sign up another 30.

Elsewhere in southern Iraq, Britain's Royal Marines have been increasingly frustrated with the lack of help from their military hierarchy for humanitarian projects.

Major Paul Underwood discovered a water treatment works inside of the war-destroyed chemical fertiliser plant that commandos are using as their new headquarters, on the outskirts of the Basra suburb of Abu Al Khasib.

Miraculously untouched by heavy fighting in the area, the plant could produce up to 100,000 litres of drinking water an hour -- more than enough to solve the city's water shortage problem.

Underwood just needs the logistical help of engineers to establish a power supply to run the water works and check pipelines into Basra for damage.

But he said: "I've put the request up to Division a few days ago. This place could solve all our problems and make sure nobody in Basra goes thirsty, it's a miracle that it's still in one piece.

"But I haven't heard a thing back. I don't really understand why. This sort of thing is our massive priority now. Why isn't private business being tapped up to help either?"

Other marines believe that Britain's defence ministry underestimated the level of work needed in the aftermath of the war.

Retreating Iraqi troops and Fedayeen guerillas sabotaged a lot of civilian infrastructure as they fled the British advance in southern Iraq.

But there appears to be nowhere near enough provision of manpower or equipment in the war plan to repair any of it.

Despite their current suffering, southern Iraqis at least outside of Basra are still keen to show their delight about the British troops' presence.

The population of largely Shiite Muslims and Marsh Arabs were persecuted by Saddam's regime for years, and had hoped since the failed uprising of 1991 that their chance for freedom would come again.

In Al Faw, marines were given a letter of thanks written by the town's brand new mayor and chief sheikh that they were forced to promise that they would hand over to British Prime Minister Tony Blair.

In the letter, the town's two new leaders, Abuallah Muerton and Sheikh Tawfiq Aman, wrote: "We thank you Mr Blair for everything you have done for us. We hope one day we will meet you, because you are a very great man.

"And, God willing, one day we will repay you."

"The people here really do look upon us as saviours at the moment," said Major Matt Jackson. "What's the point in going to war if we can't leave the place in a better state than we found it?"

(ATTENTION: POOL REPORT)

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