THE WIFE of a bodyguard killed in Iraq has spoken of his bravery.

Robert Swann was killed when he was shot in the neck in Tikrit in Iraq on Tuesday morning.

Mr Swann of Gosforth, Newcastle, was working for global security firm Erinys when he was killed.

His grieving wife Angela, 32, said: "I worried about him all the time and wanted him to come home, but he loved it so much out there and how can you tell someone you love to stop doing something they love?"

Former Gosforth High School pupil, Mr Swann joined the Army at the age of 16 before becoming a paratrooper.

He continued to work in Iraq, where his role was to protect American government VIPs.

He was in a watchtower when he was killed. He was wearing full body armour and the only part that was exposed - his neck - was where he was hit by a bullet.

His body has been flown from Iraq to Kuwait and Mrs Swann is waiting for him to be returned to the region.

The couple had been married for nine years. Over the last seven years he had worked in Iraq, spending three months there at a time.

He did not tell his wife that a trip had been planned to the dangerous area of Tikrit because he didn't want to worry her.

Mrs Swann said: "I knew he'd had a few near-misses with bombs and things, but I think he used to hide things from me because he knew how worried I would get.

"He just had a heart of gold. He used to take clothes and shoes over to the kids in Iraq. He was very passionate about his work."

Robert received a medal from the Queen for his work in Iraq supporting the American government.