A SOLDIER from Colchester was killed when he stood on a pressure pad and activated a roadside bomb in Afghanistan, an inquest heard.

Colour Sergeant Kevin Fortuna, 36, from Lexden, was leading a patrol in Helmand as part of A Company, 1st Battalion the Rifles when he stood on a pressure pad.

He was killed in the blast on May 23 last year.

Commanding officer Major Jason Durup told the inquest they had taken over the area in Nahr-e-Saraj from Colchester’s Second Battalion, the Parachute Regiment a few weeks earlier.

He told the coroner in Chelmsford C Sgt Fortuna had been leading a patrol on the frontline to disrupt the Taleban.

C Sgt Fortuna was third or fourth in the patrol and those in front had not triggered the bomb.

The valon, a metal detector used by the Army, had not picked it up either.

Soldier Gareth Yates, who was in charge of the valon, said they were walking between fields when he heard an explosion.

He said: “We were thrown to the floor. I could see C Sgt Fortuna lying on the floor. I had shouted to see if I could get a response and to get a medic.”

Medic Stephanie Court, who came over from another patrol, told the inquest C Sgt Fortuna had lost his legs in the blast.

Tourniquets had been applied and he had been given morphine.

He fell unconscious soon after the explosion and a few minutes later she tried to resuscitate him.

The medical response team were called in by helicopter, but nobody could save him.

His wife Nia, a nurse, asked why morphine had been given if he was unconscious. She was told he had been conscious for a short time after the blast.

She also wanted to know why the device had not gone off when the other soldiers passed over it and a valon was being used when more advanced devices were available.

Explosives expert, Warrant Officer Class One Nicholas Handy, from 11 Explosive Ordnance Regiment, told the inquest the Taleban were aware of the metal detectors.

They used low-metal devices mixed with parts of flip flops and wooden fruit crates to try to avoid detection.

Soldiers patrolled a few metres apart in case of an explosion to minimise the number of people injured.

He did not believe using the upgraded horn metal detector would have made any difference.

Essex coroner Caroline Beasley-Murray ruled C Sgt Fortuna was unlawfully killed.