A Royal Marine from the Black Country who was killed in Afghanistan was brought home to Britain today.

Jonathan Crookes, 26, of 40 Commando Royal Marines, died while on foot patrol in Sangin, Helmand Province on Friday.

His commanding officer said Marine Crookes, of Halesowen, was a “giant of a man”.

A plane carrying his body and the body of bomb disposal expert Brett Linley, 29, of Birmingham, landed at RAF Lyneham in Wiltshire this morning.

Staff Sergeant Linley, 29, died while trying to clear improvised explosive devices in Nahr-e-Saraj. A private ceremony was held at the base before the coffins were passing through the nearby town of Wootton Bassett.

The repatriation comes as two British soldiers were shot dead in Afghanistan as they tried to rescue a comrade.

The servicemen, one from The Royal Dragoon Guards and the other from 1st Battalion Scots Guards, were killed yesterday in the Lashkar Gah district of Helmand province.