THE parents of an East Lancashire soldier have been left “devastated” after the Army said it would claw back money he had been “overpaid” following his death in Afghanistan.

Bereaved dad Tony Bancroft said he felt like he had been “poked in the eye with a sharp stick” when he read the letter saying his son Jordan had received too much in wages.

The money related to the 10 day period following the Lance Corporal’s death in Helmand province on August 21, 2010.

The letter stated that 25-year-old Jordan, who served with the Duke Of Lancaster’s Regiment, had been paid in advance to the end of the month and had received an ‘overpayment’.

Mr Bancroft said the the issue was not one of money, but one of respect for his son and the scarifice he had made.

Since his death, Jordan’s family have fundraised in his memory, earlier this month handed over £10,000 to help troops in his regiment.

He said: “When I read the letter it felt like I’d been poked in the eye with a sharp stick.

“They say he had been paid in advance for the whole month August so there had been an overpayment, which they were taking off a sum that was owed to him in holiday pay.

“I want to make it clear that this is in no way a question of the money but one of respect for my son, a hugely brave and dedicated soldier who died serving his country.

“He didn’t ask to be shot.

“Words fail me. I just think it’s undignified and very petty to be sent a bureaucratic letter like this.”

The letter, dated October 14 from the Joint Casualty and Compassionate Centre, said: “Following your son’s untimely death, a salary payment for the full month of August was paid into his bank account.

“This included £433.13 in respect of pay for the days after the date of his death.

“Not wishing to cause further distress, or potential hardship to yourself at that time, the MOD took no action to recover the overpayment.

“However now a further sum is due to Jordan’s estate in respect of his pay, the ‘overpayment’ has been offset.”

Just three weeks ago Jordan’s family said they had obtained closure, when an inquest ruled he had been unlawfully killed in central Helmand.

Mr Bancroft said the “insensitive” letter had once again left his family, including wife Sheila, feeling bereft .

Jordan, from Earby, was shot while protecting a meeting between peace keeping troops and Afghan elders.

He spent nine years in the Army serving in Canada, Cyprus, Germany, Iraq twice and Afghanistan.

Since Jordan’s death, his family and close friends have maintained extremely close links with the Duke of Lancaster’s Regiment.

Earlier this month, his aunt, Mandy Paul, 43, from Chatburn handed over £10,000 to help troops in his regiment and help “keep his memory and spirit alive”.

The money was generated by sales of a calendar in which members of his family posed at the Duke of Lancaster’s Regiment barracks in Fulwood.

She was helped by among others, Jordan’s brothers Paul and Leighton, sister Toni and girlfriend Lauren O’Hara.

Tony is keen to distance the Regiment from the MOD letter.

“We’ll always be close to the Duke of Lancaster’s Regiment. They have given us much support since Jordan’s death.

“We all know this letter came from an admin department and is nothing to do with the regiment.”

Janet Taylor, secretary of the Nelson branch of the Royal British Legion described the letter as “diabolical”.

She said: “That brave lad made the ultimate sacrifice for his country and they can’t pay him until the end of the month?

“I’m sure all our members will be appalled that Jordan’s parents have been treated in this way.”

A spokeswoman for the MOD said: “Service personnel are paid up to the date of their death. Occasionally, deceased service personnel may be paid for the whole month of their death where the notification of death comes after the military pay run has already taken place.

“Whilst this results in a notional overpayment, no attempt is made to recover such sums after they have been paid. However, where a further salary payment or credit is made at a later date, the final payment is adjusted to reflect the correct amount.”