MORE than 70 people attended a repatriation service in a County Durham town today (Thursday, May 9) to pay tribute to three soldiers killed in Afghanistan.

Sedgefield Village Veterans held the ceremony on the green to honour the memory of Corporal William Savage, from Irving, Ayshire, Fusilier Samuel Fint, of Blackpool, Lancashire, and Private Robert Hetherington, originally from the US but brought up in Scotland.

The three men were killed when their vehicle was struck by an improvised explosive device while on patrol in the Nahr-e Saraj district on Tuesday, April 30.

Cpl Savage, 30, and Fusilier Flint, 21, were both in the Royal Highland Fusiliers. Pte Hetherington, 25, was in the 51st Highlanders.

Veterans from Peterlee, Darlington and Sedgefield, Councillor Linda Marshall, chair of Durham County Council, and many Sedgefield residents attended the ceremony.