A SOLDIER who died more than two months after being injured in an explosion in Afghanistan has been remembered by friends in Todmorden.

Jack Stanley, who lived in the Todmorden area and was originally from Bolton, had been in the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham since being hurt in the line of duty at Pupalzay Kalay, east of Lashkar Gah.

The 26-year-old Queen's Royal Hussars trooper was on patrol on February 3 when an improvised electronic device (IED) exploded.

He was later flown back to the UK but died in Birmingham on Monday, surrounded by his family He leaves his mother, Brenda, father Tom, his sister Rachael, and his girlfriend Sarah.

His mother has described him as a 'kind, generous lad with a ready smile' and a committed Bolton Wanderers fan.

But he also captured the hearts of friends in Todmorden, where a fundraising campaign was instigated after people learned of the injuries he suffered in Lashkar Gah. He spent his last fortnight's leave there just after Christmas.

Posters had also been erected across the town, urging people to buy Jack Stanley wristbands, with the appeal reaching £1,700 before yesterday's announcement.