Shot Middleton soldier remembered at memorial service

Hundreds of people have gathered to remember a soldier who died in an accidental shooting in Iraq.

L/Cpl Scott Hetherington, 22, from Middleton, Greater Manchester, died at Camp Taji, north of Baghdad.

A service took place at Middleton's Memorial Gardens - home to a permanent memorial for murdered soldier Lee Rigby and other service personnel.

L/Cpl Hetherington was killed on 2 January and was the first British soldier to die in Iraq for eight years.

He had only recently become a father to a daughter.

One of the memorial service's speakers said: " On 2 January 2017, a light which shone brightly on all who knew him was extinguished in a tragic accident on a battlefield far away from the town that Scott called home."

His cousin Aaron Hetherington, who organised the memorial, said: "He was full of joy and full of life. It's terrible what happened to him, very difficult; words can't really explain it."

He told the crowd: "Middleton, you have well and truly done Scott and our family proud."

The soldier served as a vehicle commander with the 2nd Battalion, Duke of Lancaster's Regiment.

Reverend Canon Philip Miller, said: "He was a well-known lad; he was a very friendly young man and he knew lots of people and was well liked by them."