Soldier speaks of pride after receiving bravery award

A soldier from Leeds has been given a bravery award by Prince Charles and hailed a as a "hard man" by the future monarch.

Sergeant Luke Cunningham, 29, received a Certificate of Commendation from Prince Charles during a visit at Catterick Garrison in North Yorkshire and was told that his "selfless and gallant" actions helped to save lives last year.

The soldier was coming to the aid of a Gurkha platoon in Helmand, Afghanistan, in March 2009 when he came under small arms fire, but placed himself at risk by saving three colleagues and giving first aid to another.

Sergeant Cunningham said: "It means everything to me. It’s a huge privilege. There were a lot of ups and downs on that tour and I lost a few mates. This is a recognition of all their efforts."

Recently, Prince Charles helped to boost morale after visiting the training camp on Salisbury Plain and meeting around 2,000 troops who were preparing for conditions in Afghanistan.

Posted by Mark Wilkins