Soldier killed in blast named

The Ministry of Defence has named a British soldier killed by an explosion in southern Afghanistan as Corporal James Oakland of the Royal Military Police. His death takes the number of UK troops killed in Afghanistan since 2001 to 222.

Corporal Oakland died while conducting a search for explosive devices in Helmand Province on Thursday. He joined the Army in 2002 and was deployed to Afghanistan to replace another British military casualty. His parents Steve and Christine, brother Daniel and long-term girlfriend Lauren Bowyer said: "We are immensely proud of James, the person he was and the job that he did. He was a true friend, loving son, grandson, brother and boyfriend, who will be dearly missed and never forgotten."