Hundreds mourn Lancashire soldier killed in Iraq

Hundreds of mourners paid their respects at a moving funeral ceremony for a Lancashire-based soldier killed in Iraq.
Soldiers arrive to take part in the military funeral of Lance Corporal Scott Hetherington at All Saints and Martyrs Church in Langley, Greater Manchester. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Thursday January 26, 2017. The soldier, from the 2nd Battalion The Duke of Lancaster's Regiment, died in a "tragic incident" near Baghdad earlier this month. See PA story DEFENCE Death. Photo credit should read: Danny Lawson/PA WireSoldiers arrive to take part in the military funeral of Lance Corporal Scott Hetherington at All Saints and Martyrs Church in Langley, Greater Manchester. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Thursday January 26, 2017. The soldier, from the 2nd Battalion The Duke of Lancaster's Regiment, died in a "tragic incident" near Baghdad earlier this month. See PA story DEFENCE Death. Photo credit should read: Danny Lawson/PA Wire
Soldiers arrive to take part in the military funeral of Lance Corporal Scott Hetherington at All Saints and Martyrs Church in Langley, Greater Manchester. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Thursday January 26, 2017. The soldier, from the 2nd Battalion The Duke of Lancaster's Regiment, died in a "tragic incident" near Baghdad earlier this month. See PA story DEFENCE Death. Photo credit should read: Danny Lawson/PA Wire

Members of the public lined the streets as the hearse bearing Lance Corporal Scott Hetherington, 22, made its way up the hill to the church in Langley in his home town of Middleton, Greater Manchester.

L/Cpl Hetherington had been based at Weeton barracks, near Kirkham.

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His partner, Savannah Brown, mother to their daughter, born last October, and parents Anne and Jason, walked behind the hearse, bearing floral tributes to Son and Daddy, followed by a throng of family members and close friends.

Lance Corporal Scott HetheringtonLance Corporal Scott Hetherington
Lance Corporal Scott Hetherington

Hundreds more morners waited outside All Saints and Martyrs Church for the start of the service on Thursday, as a guard of honour of his comrades from the 2nd Battalion, Duke of Lancaster Regiment stood to attention.

Six more soldiers from his unit acted as pall bearers, as his coffin, draped in the Union flag was borne into the church to the music of Tenerife Sea by Ed Sheeran.

Dozens of mourners outside the packed church stood in biting winds to listen to the service relayed outside on a public address system. L/Cpl Hetherington, who had a twin sister, Sian, died on January 2, while on a tour of duty in Iraq helping to train local forces to battle the terror group, so-called Islamic State. His death at Camp Taji, north of Baghdad, has been described as a “tragic incident” and not the result of enemy action.

A Ministry of Defence investigation is under way.

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