Sussex servicemen who fought in the Suez conflict could be honoured with medals as early as Remembrance Sunday.

Hove MP Ivor Caplin, a junior minister in the Ministry of Defence, made the pledge in the House of Commons.

Sussex veterans fought a long campaign to be recognised for their role in Egypt during the emergency in 1956.

It is a conflict regarded by many as the "hidden war", when conditions were so bad that many combatants committed suicide rather than bear the poor rations and harsh discipline.

Prime Minister Tony Blair only announced in June that veterans would receive a medal and commemorative clasp for playing their part in the fight to keep the Suez Canal open.

Rules governing medals say they cannot usually be awarded more than five years after a conflict but a committee said these were special circumstances.

Mr Caplin, who has been placed in charge of war veterans, said: "Medals will be made available as soon as possible.

"I hope that some will be available for Remembrance Sunday. Certainly, all will be distributed within the next two years."

Not all servicemen have been impressed by the decision to award the campaign medals, saying they would rather have had an apology for the shocking conditions.

John Iles, 72, of Feroners Close, Crawley, was attached to 109 Maintenance Unit with the RAF at Abyad in 1956.

He said: "I don't care about the medal - they can keep it. What I want is an apology from the Government. Either from Tony Blair or the Ministry of Defence, I don't mind."