MPs pay tribute to trooper Joshua

TRIBUTES have been paid at Westminster to a young Plymouth soldier killed in Afghanistan.

Trooper Joshua Hammond, who lived in Plymstock, is among seven servicemen to have died there during the past week.

Commons leader Harriet Harman, standing in for the Prime Minister, who was at the G8 talks in Italy, said the country owed those who had died "our deepest gratitude".

"They served our country and the people of Afghanistan with distinction in desperately difficult conditions ahead of the very important August presidential elections in that country. They will never be forgotten," she said.

Condolences were also expressed by shadow foreign secretary William Hague, and Lib Dem Treasury spokesman Vince Cable, who were standing in for their respective leaders.

Paying her own tribute in the Commons, Linda Gilroy for Plymouth Sutton told MPs that Joshua's large Plymouth family were "mourning his loss".

A former student at Plymstock School, Joshua died when the vehicle he was travelling in was blown up by a Taliban bomb near Lashkar Gah.

The 18-year-old was serving with the 2nd Royal Tank Regiment and was planning to marry his childhood sweetheart, Emma Green, aged 19 also from Plymstock, next year.

He died alongside Lieutenant Colonel Rupert Thorneloe, the Commanding Officer of the 1st Battalion Welsh Guards and the most senior officer to be killed in conflict since the Falklands war in 1982, who was also caught in the blast.

It came as Ms Harman insisted there was no 'complacency' over providing British troops in Afghanistan with the best equipment possible.

"We must do everything possible to ensure the greatest protection for our troops in the field. There is no complacency on that," she said.

The Government had increased the number of armoured vehicles and helicopters made available, but accepted that more should be done.

Ms Harman said: "The reason why we want to do more, not only for their personal protection, is in recognition of the importance of their mission in Afghanistan – not only to that country, but to the region and the security of this country as well."

Mr Hague said: "We all recognise it is important to do more and we will hold the Government to the commitments you've made."