A HEROIC Selby soldier has been honoured with the Military Cross for his courage during a Taliban ambush in Afghanistan.

Lance Corporal Colin Spooner was presented with the medal by Prince Charles at a ceremony at Buckingham Palace yesterday.

The 22-year-old has now become one of the youngest soldiers to receive the Military Cross in modern times.

The Military Cross is in recognition of “exemplary gallantry during active operations against the enemy on land”.

L/Cpl Spooner, of 2nd Battalion The Princess of Wales’s Royal Regiment, was leading a patrol in Helmand in October of last year when they were attacked by up to 40 Taliban fighters. With rocket-propelled grenades, mortars and bullets whizzing past their ears, the trapped British troops were unable to communicate through their earpieces because of the deafening noise. So the 22-year-old Selby hero sprinted back and forth to relay messages between his men. Eventually, a shell exploded behind him and he was hit by 32 pieces of molten metal as shrapnel flew through the air.

But L/Cpl Spooner continued to issue orders and direct the battle despite the intense pain, knowing that if he were to succumb it would take four men to stretcher him to shelter and that those four men could be vital to the safety of everyone. He said: “I realised I’d been hurt and I got dragged into a building and treated. I carried on giving orders. It would have taken four blokes to carry me out but I knew we were still engaged so I walked. That’s what did most of the damage, but I’d do the same again.”

L/Cpl Spooner was only 21 when he was injured, but was on his fourth tour of duty, having completed two in Iraq and one in Northern Ireland.

His wounds have left him in constant pain and he has difficulty standing for long periods, but he hopes to recover and return to Afghanistan. A spokesman for the Ministry of Defence said: “Spooner’s decisive action, exemplary leadership and courage as section commander with B Company Group contributed enormously to the successful outcome of a difficult situation. His outstanding contribution took place despite extraordinarily dangerous circumstances and the pain that resulted from the extensive shrapnel wounds he had incurred.”