'Hero marine' is offered �161k

Marine McBean is one of the faces of the Help For Heroes charity

A Royal Marine from Somerset who lost two limbs in Afghanistan has been offered �161,000 in compensation.

Ben McBean, 21, of 40 Commando, Taunton, also suffered scarring and nerve and skin damage in the landmine explosion in February.

Mr McBean was hailed "the real hero" by Prince Harry who flew back to the UK on the same flight.

The offer is less than the current maximum �285,000 but could rise due to changes in MoD compensation policy.

A spokesman for the MoD said: "As part of the Service Personnel Command Paper published in July, we doubled the lump sum compensation for the most serious injuries to a new maximum level of �570,000.

"The paper is still under discussion but under the new scheme someone with Mr McBean's injuries would expect to see their compensation award rise to more than �275,000, in addition to their annual tax-free and index-linked income paid for life," he added.

The commando became a national hero after the explosion. He is one of the most prominent faces of the Help For Heroes charity, which raises money for injured war veterans.

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