Shropshire bomb disposal hero hurt in roadside blast

A bomb disposal expert from Shropshire was seriously injured after being hit by a roadside bomb in Afghanistan, it emerged today.

Staff Sergeant Roger Smith, 37, suffered face, arm and chest injuries when a bomb he and his colleague were working hard to try to disarm exploded.

His father Geoffrey Smith, from Nash near Clee Hill, today said his son was treated at Camp Bastion straight after the blast before being flown to Selly Oak Hospital in Birmingham.

He said: "The explosion took the legs of the engineer Roger was working with while the bomb hit Roger in the chest and face.

"They had just disarmed one bomb and were about to work on the second when it exploded. Roger was taken to Selly Oak.

"He is on the road to recovery and has thankfully not been blinded. His left eye is now fine and his right is making good progress."

He added: "He joined the army when he was just 19 and served with the Royal Logistics Corps in Kosovo, twice in Iraq and then in Afghanistan. This was the first time he's been injured."

Staff Sergeant Smith is now out of Selly Oak and is based in Barracks in Nottinghamshire with his wife Kerry, from Knighton-on-Teme, and their two young children Finlay, three, and Oliver, one.

Mr Smith, who operates Ewe & You care farm, said although his son was making good progress he still needs regular visits to Selly Oak to check his progress.

He is still a serving soldier and has three years to go before notching up 22 years in the Royal Logistics Corp.

Mr Smith added: "He served for five years before moving into bomb disposal and has gone all over the world."

His said his wife Liz was secretary of Lindridge Primary School and the children there were raising money for the forces.