THE family of a solider killed in Afghanistan have almost bared all in a calendar to raise money for troops injured in battle.

Mandy Paul came up with the idea for the calendar as a way of raising money in memory of her nephew, Lance Corporal Jordan Dean Bancroft, who lived in Earby.

The 25-year-old, of the 1st Battalion Duke of Lancaster’s Regiment, was shot dead by insurgents on August 21 as he provided security for a meeting in Helmand Province.

His aunt Mandy, 42, said all the money raised through sales of the calendar would go to the regiment to help serving and former soliders and their families.

The ‘Bare All for the Dukes 2011’ calendar features members of L/Cpl Bancroft’s family and friends in a variety of ‘tastefully nude’ poses.

Mandy, her daughter Louise, 18, Jordan’s dad Tony, brothers Paul and Leighton, and cousins Robert Hayhurst and Laura Heap all appear in the pages.

According to Mandy, who runs Hudson’s Ice Cream Shop, in Chatburn, her youngest daughter Larna (corr), 16, suggested making a calendar.

She said: “At the shop I was given an accolade by the Guardian newspaper for my rasberry buns, which they said were in the top 10 in the North of England.

“My daughter said why don’t you do a calendar, so I said I would have to get my buns out! That’s how it came about.

“When we lost Jordan I was devastated and I felt like I had to do something.”

Mandy is being helped in her efforts to raise vital funds by Annette Aspin, of Colne, whose 22-year-old son Shaun is still recovering after being critically injured in an explosion while serving in the Duke of Lancaster’s Regiment in May.

She said Annette offered to sell copies of the calendar at Colne Market on Saturday as she was keen to help those like Shaun, who spent a week in a coma in the critical care unit of Selly Oak Hospital, Birmingham, after being injured in service.

Mandy said the money would also help soldiers like Nelson solider Jack Plant, who this week spoke for the first time about having his legs blown off in an explosion in Afghanistan in July.

She said: “He is absolutely amazing. I’m hoping to contact him to say well done for speaking out because people don’t always hear about those who come back injured.”

Mandy is hoping to raise more than £20,000 by selling all 2,200 copies of the calendar, which is priced at £7.50 and available at www.digigoprint.co.uk/dukescalendar.