Clegg hails fallen heroes of Helmand

The Sheffield Hallam MP praised the “outstanding courage and selflessness” of the six servicemen killed in an explosion in Helmand province last Tuesday, in what was the single worst attack on British soldiers since the war began in 2001.

Mr Clegg was speaking yesterday at Prime Minister’s Questions, where he was standing in for David Cameron while the Conservative leader met United States President Barack Obama in Washington.

Mr Clegg’s first act was to send his “deepest condolences” to the families and friends of the five fallen Yorkshire soldiers and the Sergeant who died at their side.

“I am sure that the whole House will want to join me in sending our deepest condolences to the families and friends of the servicemen who died in Afghanistan,” Mr Clegg said.

“Sergeant Nigel Coupe from 1st Battalion the Duke of Lancaster’s Regiment, and Corporal Jake Hartley, Private Anton Frampton, Private Chris Kershaw, Private Daniel Wade and Private Daniel Wilford, all from 3rd Battalion the Yorkshire Regiment.

“These were men of outstanding courage and selflessness.

“This tragic incident will long be remembered by our nation, because it reminds us all of the immense danger that our armed forces regularly endure to guarantee the safety and security of our country.”

Colne Valley Conservative MP Jason McCartney, from whose constituency three of the young men hailed, asked for assurances that the Government was doing all it could to support the grieving families of the dead.

Mr Clegg said the Government was doing “absolutely everything possible, in quite difficult circumstances” to repatriate the men’s bodies as quickly as possible.

The six soldiers were killed when their armoured Warrior vehicle hit an explosive device while driving through the desert at dusk on the border of Helmand and Kandahar in southern Afghanistan last Tuesday.

A solemn service was held in Halifax Minster on Sunday to remember the fallen men.

Their deaths pushed the number of British servicemen killed in Afghanistan beyond 400.