Too many have died, and it's not our war says soldier's grieving mother (Video)

Sharon Leverett was speaking before she arrived at Sheffield Cathedral to lead mourners at the funeral of her son, Trooper James Leverett.

Trooper Leverett, from Rawmarsh, South Yorkshire, died earlier this month while serving with The Royal Dragoon Guards, Viking Group, D (The Green Horse) Squadron.

Today, Mrs Leverett, 37, led hundreds of mourners at the service which took place with full military honours.

The young soldier died just a couple of months ahead of the birth of his first child, which is due in September.

His pregnant girlfriend, Tiffany Lound, was also among the family group following the coffin into the service.

The cortege arrived in the centre of Sheffield watched by hundreds of members of the public and led by a piper.

The coffin, which was draped with a Union Flag, was carried into the cathedral by six non-commissioned officers from The Royal Dragoon Guards.

After the 40 minute long service, the hundreds of people stood outside the packed church applauded as the hearse was driven away.

Earlier, Mrs Leverett said she did not feel she was qualified to make a fully informed judgment about the UK's role in Afghanistan.

But she said: "Obviously I don't think they should be there but that's my personal opinion.

"I don't think this was ever our war in the first place. But they're out there. They're doing their job.

"They're doing what they can. They're doing their best and we've just got to support them in that."

She added: "Obviously something does need to be sorted because we're losing too many people out there.

"There's too many families going through what I'm going through.

"I do think we shouldn't be there. I do think this is not our war."

Mrs Leverett, 37, recalled how Trooper Leverett joined the Army when he was 18 years old and knew he made the right decision, despite not looking forward to going to Afghanistan.

Asked to describe him, she said: "Independent, determined. He wanted to get every minute out of life. Friendly. He would do anything for anyone."

Mrs Leverett said he loved his sport while he was at Rawmarsh Comprehensive School, near Rotherham, South Yorkshire, where he grew up.

She said all his friends and brothers looked up to him.

And she said he was "over the moon" when he found out he was going to be a father.

His girlfriend, Tiffany Lound, found out their baby was going to be a boy the day after the family received the news about Trooper Leverett's death.

Mrs Leverett said: "He had three families really - he had us, he had his friends and he had the Army. So he was lucky."

But she said he was having a tough time during the tour, which started in June, especially because he had lost one of his friends recently.

Wiping away tears, Mrs Leverett said: "Obviously I'm proud because he was doing what he wanted to do.

"Although I knew he didn't want to go out there in the first place, he knew that that was what he joined for and he did it and that's kept me strong, really.

"I never worried because I knew what sort of person James was.

"I never had a doubt he would come home, because I knew him."

Mrs Leverett also said she had great support from her local community.

"Rawmarsh has been great," she said.

"They've all just come together. It's been lovely."

Mrs Leverett said her son was very close to his family and also loved his Staffordshire bull terrier, Bullseye.

He lived with his mother, his stepfather Tony Weighell, and his three brothers - Neville, 19, Lewis, 15 and Jack, 10.

He had planned to get a house with his girlfriend next year, Mrs Leverett said.

Earlier this week, it was revealed that Trooper Leverett left Miss Lound a letter to be opened only if he was killed in action.

It told her not to cry and to put all her energy into bringing up their baby.

Trooper Leverett was killed by an improvised explosive device while on a vehicle patrol in the Nahr-e Saraj district of Helmand Province. He was helping to secure a route under construction between Lashkar Gah and Gereshk.

At the funeral, retired Brigadier Johnny Torrens-Spence, the Colonel of the Regiment, said: "He was a wonderful young man - a bright star. He was a cheerful, positive outgoing guy.

"Really popular both in the regiment and, I know, here in Sheffield.

"He was also a fine professional soldier who had a bright career ahead of him, unfortunately cut short."