Corporal Simon Vaughan with son Ben and wife Donna

A Shropshire war hero who suffered horrific injuries while on patrol in Afghanistan is “smiling and happy” again and even enjoyed a trip to the pub over Christmas, his family said.

Corporal Simon Vaughan, 25, who is originally from Hodnet, near Market Drayton, suffered a serious brain injury following a bomb blast in Afghanistan.

The explosion happened in December 2008.

His injuries were so severe doctors feared he would be in a persistent vegetative state but his wife Donna says he is now laughing and smiling and able to play with his seven-year-old son Ben.

Corporal Vaughan was in a vehicle that was driven over a roadside bomb in Helmand province. He suffered a shattered pelvis, broken jaw, broken femur and bleeding on the brain.

He was flown back to receive treatment at Birmingham’s Selly Oak Hospital where he remained for several months, before being transferred to the Royal Hospital for Neuro-Disability in Putney, London, which specialises in treating people who have suffered damage to their brain or nervous system.

Mrs Vaughan, 27, and Ben have now moved to London to be near the 25-year-old who remains in hospital in the capital .

She said: “He suffered a very serious brain injury. They told us originally he would be in a persistent vegetative state. Since then he has been doing so well since he moved to Putney. He has been there since July. He’s doing really well, laughing and smiling, and has more movement than he ever had.

“We even took him to the pub on December 21 for Christmas drinks with his mates. He really enjoyed it and we even let him have a sip of lager for the first time since his accident, he loved it.”

She said family and friends, who have been there for Simon throughout, had been “terrific”. She added: “We moved down to be with him while he is having his rehab. We get to see him every other day now.

“Ben can play games with him now so Ben is feeling better that daddy can do things. He can’t speak still at the moment but he spells out things on a chart.”

She added her husband would be at the London hospital for some time yet before moving to an army rehabilitation centre.

“He is going to stay there for a while yet. While he is still improving they want to get as much as possible from him, then they will take him to Headley Court, an army rehabilitation centre in Surrey,” she said.

“It’s really nice to see him smiling and happy again and to hear him laugh.”

His mum Lynne Vaughan, of Hodnet, said her son was doing well and better than predicted.

Corporal Vaughan, a member of the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers, was commended for his service at a bedside ceremony last year at the same time his colleagues from 29 Commando Regiment Royal Artillery received theirs in Plymouth.