Soldier shot dead in Afghanistan after being ordered not to wear armour

Lance Corporal Steven Sherwood, 23, was hit in the chest as he rode with a convoy of unarmoured British trucks.

The troops were driving through the town of Mazar-e-Sharif in northern Afghanistan, where they were guarding reconstruction operations.

Because his commanders believed the threat level was low and the area was 'benign', all the troops were wearing soft berets and no body armour in order to appear more friendly.

The armour which might have saved Lance Corporal Sherwood's life was stowed in the vehicle, the inquest in Gloucester heard.

His comrades, five of whom were also wounded in the attack, took the young soldier to a medical post but doctors were unable to save him.

At the time of the attack in October 2005, British troops had encountered little in the way of hostilities.

It was a few months before they moved into southern Afghanistan and began fighting pitched battles against the Taliban.

The inquest heard how the killer, a local man known as Fatar, had apparently been recruited by the Taliban just a few hours before the attack and handed a gun.

He was later arrested and claimed he had carried out the shooting 'to be reunited with Allah'.

He was initially sentenced to death by the Afghan authorities, but his punishment was commuted to life in jail.

Lance Corporal Sherwood of the 1st Battalion The Royal Gloucestershire, Berkshire and Wiltshire Light Infantry was part of an Army team guarding reconstruction efforts in Mazar-i-Sharif.

He was part of a British patrol driving in unarmoured Toyota Landcruisers close to the town's ancient Blue Mosque, and was sitting in the back of a vehicle manning a machine gun when his attacker stepped out of a doorway and opened fire.

Captain Andrew Cay, who was in the front of the vehicle at the time, said he had seen 'nothing out of the ordinary' during the journey and did not immediately recognise the sound of gunfire.

He told the hearing: "Lance Corporal Sherwood said 'We have been hit, drive'.

"I could see he had been hurt and appeared to be passing out. I continuously spoke to him, asking him to stay awake.

"I recall seeing Lance Corporal Sherwood being carried into the medical tent. My last memory at that point was of a sheet being pulled over Lance Corporal Sherwood's face."

Captain Cay said the threat level in the town was thought to be low, with no attacks for several months, and he believed the gunman was an 'opportunist' who caught troops in 'the wrong place, at the wrong time'.

Captain Cay was one of those injured in the attack and had to have bullet fragments removed from his arm.

Coroner Alan Crickmore recorded a verdict of unlawful killing.

Speaking afterwards, Lance Corporal Sherwood's father, Alan, 40, said that despite his grief and anger over his son's death he accepted the decision not to wear body armour.

He said: "At the time we were very angry that they were not wearing any armour. But having heard it explained today we realised how convinced the Army were that this was an area of low risk.

"We are told that they are wearing body armour more now - that is something we would certainly welcome."