MANY hundreds are expected to pay tribute to a hero in Huddersfield tomorrow.

A large congregation is expected at Huddersfield Parish Church for the funeral of bomb disposal hero Capt Lisa Jade Head.

The 29-year-old officer, from Almondbury, died in hospital after being caught up in a roadside bomb blast in Helmand province.

Today, Army officials were planning the final details of the special memorial service at St Peter’s Church.

They and police are liaising over the service which will be carried out with full military honours for Capt Head.

Police are bringing in road closures and parking restrictions from 7am tomorrow, well in advance of the 11.30am service.

Police will shut Byram Street between Church Street and Northumberland Street until 1pm and will also have a parking ban in force in Byram Street and Church Street throughout the period.

There will be pedestrian access at all times.

A police spokesman said: “We appreciate a lot of people will be planning to attend the service and we would urge them to park in the town-centre multi-storey car parks and walk to the service”.

Capt Head’s cortege will be welcomed to the church with troops from her regiment, 11 Explosive Ordnance Disposal Regiment, the Royal Logistic Corps, lining the route.

The pallbearers for her coffin are also expected to be from the regiment.

Senior military personnel will be involved in the service which will be followed by a private burial for her family.

The burial will end with a traditional gun salute by a firing party.

Representatives of other regiments and many veterans’ groups are also expected to form a guard of honour at the church.

Capt Head joined the Army after studying at Almondbury High School and at the University of Huddersfield, where she gained a degree in human biology.

She was commissioned into the Army after successful studies at the Sandhurst military academy.

She was the second female British soldier to die in the Afghan conflict. Capt Head had defused one bomb and was working on another to protect patrolling paratroopers when it went off.