Family and comrades of Lance Sergeant David Walker honour the memory of a ‘terrific’ family man and ‘rock-hard’ soldier

Tributes have been paid to Lance Sergeant David Walker, of 1st Battalion Scots Guards, who was killed in Afghanistan while fighting the Taliban.

Walker, 36, died on Thursday in Nad-e-Ali, an insurgent stronghold in Helmand province. He was the third British solder killed while taking part in Operation Moshtarak – a joint UK, US and Afghan assault against the Taliban.

His family released a statement which read: “We are devastated by the loss of David, who was a terrific husband and father.  Read more... (496 words, 1 image, estimated 1:59 mins reading time)

Telegraph View: The political leaders who were so keen to pose for the cameras on Armistic Day should do something to save the National Memorial Arboretum.

There was something deeply disasteful about the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition vying for photo-opportunities in the Garden of Remembrance at Westminster Abbey on Armistice Day. Both Mr Brown and Mr Cameron have apologised to the Dean of Westminster, who rebuked them for failing to obtain permission, though why either of them felt they could not pay their respects without the presence of cameras is anyone’s guess. We report today how the National Memorial Arboretum that commemorates thousands of servicemen who have died on operations since the Second World War is in danger of falling into severe disrepair unless it urgently raises £8 million. If our political leaders are so anxious to show that they care for the fallen, let them do something about that.