MEMBERS of Hereford's 22 Special Air Service never admit to being heroes.

These men with a special kind of courage say they are just well trained soldiers ready to do a job where needed anywhere in the world.

One of them, Trooper Bradley Tinnion was doing just that when he lost his life in action in the jungles of Sierra Leone.

He was there on a special, and dangerous mission with other members of the SAS from Hereford to rescue six British soldiers, members of another regiment who were being held hostage by rebels.

The operation was a success, sadly Trooper Tinnion died while helping to achieve it.

His funeral at St Martin's Church in Hereford brought around 600 mourners from all over the country, including a large contingent of family and friends from Yorkshire.

There were representatives from many regiments and following the coffin were some of his SAS colleagues who took part in the same action and could be forgiven for thinking 'there, but for the grace of God, go I'.

The church and the hall were filled with people paying their respects, five coaches bringing colleagues and friends across the city.

The cortege, carrying his coffin covered with the Union Flag, was escorted to the church by police motor cyclists.

Traffic halted and people bowed their heads as it passed by.

The service at the church was conducted by Father Michael Evans, Roman Catholic priest at Weobley and the Rev. Peter Haddleton, team rector at St Martin's.

Special prayers were said for Trooper Tinnion's partner who is expecting their first child next month.

In his address, Mr Haddleton paid tribute to the young soldier, saying his heroism was recognised and appreciated throughout the country. The funeral was given full military honours with a volley of shots over the grave, the Last Post, the Silence and the Reveille.

Then followed the fly past by a Lynk helicopter, two Chinooks and a Hercules aircraft, which played a part in the successful rescue mission in Sierra Leone.

Trooper Tinnion was laid to rest next to two comrades, Michael Halls and Adrian Powell whose funeral service had taken place in the same church two weeks earlier, when he had been present.

All three were in the same D squadron of the SAS and had been together in training exercises in Kenya when the two were killed in a road accident.

Floral tributes from many regiments were laid on the new grave and the Regimental plot in the churchyard was a garden of flowers, with each of the 50 SAS graves or memorials dressed in yellow chrysanthemums.