Funeral for blast death soldier

The family of a teenage soldier killed in Afghanistan have paid tribute to their "little guy with a big heart", at his funeral in Carlisle.

Hundreds gathered to pay their final respects to Private David Murray at the city's St James' Church on Tuesday.

The 19-year-old died in a suicide bomb attack alongside two colleagues from the 2nd Battalion the Parachute Regiment in Helmand Province on 8 June.

Following a service he was buried with full military honours.

Major Philip Curtis, reading a statement from the Murray family, said: "We are so proud that David was able to do what he loved doing - serving alongside his friends in the Parachute Regiment and helping to make the lives of others better.

"He was a little guy with a big heart. We love you David and we are so very proud of you."

Pte Murray had been in Afghanistan for two months when his group was targeted by a lone insurgent while they were on foot patrol.

He died alongside Private Daniel Gamble and Private Nathan Cuthbertson.

Their deaths brought the total number of British service personnel killed in the country to 100 at the time.

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