Soldier killed in exercise at RAF Tain named as Joe Spencer

Joe Spencer served with 3 Rifles

A soldier who died during a live firing exercise at an RAF weapons range in the Highlands on Tuesday has been named.

Joe Spencer, 24, from Hampshire, was a lance corporal in the 3rd Battalion The Rifles, based at Dreghorn Barracks in Edinburgh.

L/Cpl Spencer joined the Army in 2011 and had completed a tour of Afghanistan as part of Operation Herrick 16.

He had also taken part in exercises in Kenya and the US as part of his training.

Emergency services were called to the defence facility at Tain, near Inverness, at about 17:55 GMT on Tuesday.

The training exercise in which the incident happened involved about 20 personnel.

Police Scotland previously confirmed that a firearm was involved in the death. There were no other casualties.

An investigation is taking place to establish the full set of circumstances.

A post on The 3 Rifles' Facebook page said: "Our thoughts are with his family, friends and his brother Riflemen."

Hundreds of people paid tribute to L/Cpl Spencer under the post, with many leaving the message "RIP, swift and bold" - the motto of the regiment.

Others described him as a "good soldier and a good lad" in comments left on The Rifles page.

Defence Minister Mark Lancaster said: "It is with deep sadness that I can confirm that Lance Corporal Joe Spencer from 3rd Battalion The Rifles died at RAF Tain on Tuesday.

"My thoughts are with Joe's family, friends and colleagues at this terrible time.

"We are co-operating with the police investigation and looking into the circumstances surrounding this tragic incident."

Emergency services were called to RAF Tain on Tuesday afternoon

RAF Tain is a long-established weapons range on the Dornoch Firth, about three miles east of the town of Tain.

It is used for the majority of the time by the RAF - in particular Tornado and Typhoon fast jets that operate out of RAF Lossiemouth in Moray. The Army also uses the site, which has a rifle range and small arms range.

Air crews use the range to practice low level attacks on targets on the site, large parts of which are saltmarsh.

Civilian contractors work with military personnel in managing the range's control tower, targets and clearing ordnance.

The incident comes two months after a Scottish soldier's death during training at Otterburn, Northumberland.

Pte Conor McPherson, 24, from The Black Watch, 3rd Battalion, the Royal Regiment of Scotland, died after suffering a "serious head wound".

Tuesday's incident comes after the death of Pte Conor McPherson in a training incident in Northumberland in August