THE bodies of six soldiers, including three from Huddersfield, killed in a bomb blast in Afghanistan were repatriated to the UK as thousands of people gathered to pay their respects to their memory.

A private service to honour the comrades, who died while on patrol two weeks ago was being held at RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire.

As the unit the men served with continued to take the fight to Taliban insurgents, service personnel and members of the public gathered at a memorial garden in Carterton, near Brize Norton, to pay tribute to their sacrifice.

Corporal Jake Hartley, 20, of New Mill, Privates Anthony Frampton, 20, of Longwood, and Daniel Wilford, 21, of Cowlersley all from Huddersfield, were among the six. The other two were Sergeant Nigel Coupe, 33, a married father-of-two from Lytham St Annes, Lancashire; Christopher Kershaw, 19, from Bradford and Private Daniel Wade, from Warrington, Cheshire.

They were killed near the border between Helmand and Kandahar provinces on March 6.

Sgt Coupe, a member of 1st Battalion The Duke of Lancasters Regiment, and his comrades, all members of The Yorkshire Regiments 3rd Battalion, were patrolling in a Warrior armoured vehicle when it was hit by an improvised explosive device.