A soldier who grew up in Chatham has been killed by an explosion in Afghanistan.

L Cpl James Johnson, 31, of B Company 5th Battalion, of The Royal Regiment of Scotland, stepped on the Soviet-made mine while on patrol in Lashkar Gar at 11am local time on Saturday.

An MoD spokesman said he was part of a vehicle checkpoint patrol when it "received a report of a rocket-propelled grenade attack on a civilian aircraft".

He added: "When investigating this they dismounted their vehicles and what is believed to have been a legacy anti-personnel mine detonated, killing the soldier instantly."

He was born in Scotland but grew up in Chatham. His death brought the number of British personnel who have died in Afghanistan since 2001, to 110.

His father, Lawrence Johnson, said: "I am very proud of my son for being a soldier.

"It was his life. He always wanted to be in the Army since he was a small boy. He loved it."

The battalion's commanding officer Lieut Col David Richmond was seriously injured earlier this month when he was shot in Helmand province. He is now recovering in hospital in Birmingham.