UK soldier killed in Afghanistan

British soldiers training in Afghanistan

A British soldier died when he was shot during fighting in Afghanistan, the Ministry of Defence has said.

The soldier, from 4th Regiment Royal Artillery, had been on a joint foot patrol with Afghan National Army personnel near Nahr-e Saraj, Helmand.

The operation was to reassure the local population after a spate of insurgent aggression. His family have been told.

His death brings the total number of UK service personnel killed in Afghanistan since 2001 to 287.

Task Force Helmand spokesman, Lt Col James Carr-Smith, said the soldier was part of 1 Battalion The Royal Gurkha Rifles Battle Group.

"He died doing his duty, alongside his mates, whilst seeking to reassure the local population and counter insurgent intimidation," he said.

"He will be greatly missed and we will always remember him."

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Baby boy’s body dumped at station

Breaking News

The body of a newborn baby boy has been discovered dumped in a bag at a railway station.

The infant was discovered by a cleaner on a platform at Fleet railway station in Hampshire, shortly after 1130 BST on Wednesday.

Hampshire Police have appealed for the mother to get in touch and said they are worried about her welfare.

The front of the station has been cordoned off but trains are not affected.

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Beach burns baby out of hospital

Brighton beach on Sunday

A five-month-old boy taken to hospital with burns over 40% of his body after spending a day in the sun on Brighton beach has been discharged.

The child was with his 29-year-old mother who was visiting the south coast from London on Sunday, one of the hottest days of the year.

Sussex Police said the baby was "doing fine" after being released from the Royal Sussex County Hospital.

Officers are investigating the case, but said no arrests had been made.

Dehydration risk

The child was taken to hospital by ambulance after police community support officers intervened when they saw the baby suffering from sunburn.

Temperatures on Brighton beach reached 25C (77F) on Sunday.

A burns specialist from The Queen Victoria Hospital (QVH) in East Grinstead, West Sussex – who was consulting with the Royal Sussex – said the boy’s injuries could have been potentially life-threatening.

Baljit Dheansa, a consultant burns and plastics surgeon at the QVH’s specialist burns unit, said the baby’s skin showed signs of blistering.

He explained that the danger of blistering was that it could lead to the loss of body fluids.

In a five-month-old baby, this could ultimately lead to risks of dehydration, low blood pressure and kidney failure.

Brighton beach

This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.