BRITISH special forces based in Poole helped with planning for the raid that killed Osama Bin Laden, it has emerged.

Two members of the elite Special Boat Service (SBS) worked with United States Navy Seals before the attack on his compound in Pakistan.

The SBS is based at the secretive Royal Marines based in Hamworthy and has been at the cutting edge of anti-terror operations in Afghanistan.

The Sunday Express yesterday reported that a captain and a major from the unit arrived at the Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan several weeks ago.

One source said: “The British officers are understood to have contributed to the intense planning and are understood to have briefed the assault teams in aspects of the mission.”

Another source told the paper: “They were exchange staff officers in a role which we have maintained for many years.”

In the weeks before the attack, the Navy Seals practised on a full-sized replica of Bin Laden’s compound in Abbottabad.

The SBS officers reportedly used their specialist signals knowledge to plan how to block communications at the house during the raid.

President Barack Obama has awarded the presidential citation to members of the Navy Seals team and there is reportedly a possibility that the British troops will also receive medals.

The SBS works closely with the Special Air Service (SAS) and is said to be around 250 men strong.

The Ministry of Defence does not comment on special forces operations.