Hero soldier's funeral date set

The funeral of a Wolverhampton-born soldier killed in Afghanistan will take place at the weekend.

Captain Rupert Bowers, who was 24, will be laid to rest with full military honours in a service at St Bartholomew's Church, Moreton Corbet, near Market Drayton.

The service will be held on Saturday morning.

The former pupil at Old Swinford Hospital School, Stourbridge, served with the 2nd Battalion, The Mercian Regiment and was operating as an adviser to the Afghan National Army.

He was killed by a blast from an improvised explosive device while leading a patrol to clear a position on March 21. It was his third tour of duty in trouble torn Helmand Province.

Cpt Bowers, who lived in Leicestershire leaves behind wife Victoria, and his newly-born son Hugo.