Tributes paid to Afghanistan blast soldier Lee Davidson

Sgt Davidson was helping train Afghan police officers, the Ministry of Defence said

Tributes have been paid to a soldier from South Yorkshire who was killed in Afghanistan on Sunday.

Sgt Lee Davidson, 32, from Thorne, Doncaster, died after his armoured vehicle hit a roadside bomb in the Nahr-e Saraj district of Helmand.

Sgt Davidson was an instructor at the Army Foundation College in Harrogate, North Yorkshire, between 2009 and 2011.

The soldier, from the Light Dragoons, was "an inspiration" to everyone he worked with, a college spokesman said.

"He was a highly competent, diligent and extremely talented instructor.

"He was always professional and expected the highest of standards, always proving himself to be completely reliable, confident and capable in all he did at the college."

Sgt Davidson was nominated by his company for the college's inspirational leadership award because of his "dedicated, professional and motivated" attitude, the spokesman added.

'Grief and sorrow'

Married and a father-of-two, he had been helping to train Afghan police officers when he was killed, the Ministry of Defence said.

He was on his second tour of duty in Afghanistan.

The number of British military deaths since operations began in Afghanistan in 2001 now stands at 427.

Councillor George Derx, deputy mayor of Thorne Moorends town council, said the local community felt "grief and sorrow" for Sgt Davidson's family, friends and colleagues in the Light Dragoons.

"We're a very close-knit community. We're an ex-mining community with a strong military background in the town," said Mr Derx.

"There will be a great deal of support for his family."

A book of condolence has been opened at Doncaster Minster in memory of the soldier.

Sgt Davidson's body would be flown back to the UK on Thursday, the Ministry of Defence confirmed.