Afghanistan

I must apologise for not recording the death of another soldier in Afghanistan on Sunday.

He has been named as Rifleman Mark Turner from 3rd Battalion, The Rifles who was killed as a result of an explosion that happened while he was on a foot patrol against insurgents near Forward Operating Base Zeebrugge, in the Kajaki areas of Helmand Province.

Mark was 22 and grew up in Gateshead. He worked as a panel beater before joining the army in 2006. He was a trained Assault Pioneer and Team Medic and had been on several overseas exercises including Kenya and Belize. He had already been on one previous tour of duty in Afghanistan from September 2006 to April 2007 during which time he was injured in a road traffic accident. He was killed by an IED.

His death bring the number of troops who have lost their lives in Afghanstan to 280.

His family made the following statement:

"Mark was a proper Mammy's boy described by his loving family as being ‘daft as a brush'. He was a fanatical supporter of Newcastle United who looked forward to their imminent return to the Premier League, boasting about the fact that he had managed to watch the recent match against Nottingham Forest whilst out in Afghanistan.

"Mark loved to play poker and he also enjoyed listening to all types of music, having a distinct like of Dean Martin songs. He loved his food and regularly took up his passion of devouring cheese pizzas; however in food terms, nothing could surpass his desire of yellow Telly Tubby biscuits, sent out to him by his family.

"His fiancée said that he always insisted on perfection and referred to their affection when Mark said they were both like ‘peas and carrots'. Mark will be dearly missed by his mother Anne, fiancée Liesha, stepfather Joe, brother David and three sisters Lisa, Joanne and Julie."

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