British soldier died in Afghanistan after army failed to properly sweep training area for insurgent bombs

Tragic: Lance Corporal James Hill, of the 1st Battalion The Coldstream Guards, was killed in October 2009 but it could have been prevented

A soldier who was about to be married was killed by an improvised explosive device (IED) in Afghanistan after the army failed to properly sweep a training area for insurgent bombs, an inquest heard today.
Lance Corporal James Hill, of the 1st Battalion The Coldstream Guards, died on an 'unsecured' firing range 2.5 miles outside Camp Bastion in central Helmand on October 8 2009.
Surrey Coroner Richard Travers said today the army ignored safety warnings and instead of carrying out a full four-hour search for mines, only 45 minutes was spent sweeping the area for deadly IEDs.
Up to 300 service personnel would be trained on the firing range each day, particularly in peak periods such as April and October when a new influx of troops from the UK would arrive, he said.

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