A MARINE who was killed while serving in Iraq has been honoured by his former school.

Laurence Jackson School, in Guisborough, has created a memorial trophy in memory of former pupil Chris Maddison, who died on March 30 last year, aged 24, while serving with the Royal Marines.

Teams taking part in the old boys' football tournament at the school each year will now play for trophy in his name.

Les Thompson, Chris's PE teacher, said: "The idea to play for the trophy in memory of Chris came from one of the old boys.

"Of course, many of them will have know Chris, who left the school six years ago.

"He was a very good footballer and rugby player at school and his mother has said she is very proud that the school had remembered Chris and wanted this trophy to be in his memory."

Seventy players competed in the finals of the old boys' tournament this year and the winning team were presented with the Chris Maddison Memorial Trophy.

The school will also frame a photograph of Chris for the school's sports centre.

Chris, a veteran of Sierra Leone and Afghanistan, died of wounds received on March 30 during a patrol of the Zubayr river with the Royal Marines' 9 Assault Squadron, as coalition forces battled for control of the strategically important Al Faw peninsula in southern Iraq.

One of the Marines' patrol boats was fired on as it went to check for enemy forces at a confluence in the river and another was struck by a rocket-propelled grenade as it went to help. Rescue attempts were hampered by heavy machine-gun fire. Chris was among the wounded who were later brought out but doctors at a field hospital were unable to save him.