Tributes to 'brilliant' comrades

As hundreds of mourners braved pouring rain in London to pay their respects at the funeral of Rifleman James Brown, comrades in Helmand paid tribute to the 18-year-old and Lance Corporal David Kirkness, 24, for their bravery.

The pair were killed by a pair of suicide bombers on a motorbike at a vehicle checkpoint outside a patrol base in Sangin.

Rfn Brown, from Orpington, south east London, was given full military honours at a private service at his local church, St Barnabas's.

His coffin, which was draped in the Union flag with a poppy wreath and his forage cap resting on top, was carried into the church by his comrades from the 3rd Battalion The Rifles.

Meanwhile, soldiers stationed at the patrol base where he was serving took a few moments to pay their respects after another explosion hit the platoon.

Platoon commander Colour Serjeant Paul Lucke, 34, from Doncaster, said: "They were both brilliant soldiers. It's a shame and a shock that this incident happened.

"But we still have three months left out here. And the next day we were back out on patrol. The blokes realised they had to pick themselves up. And until we are back in the UK, it's business as usual. Once we are back in the UK, we will grieve more. "