Heroic soldiers handed medals by The Queen

Heroic soldiers from a north Shropshire-based Army regiment have spoken of their pride after meeting The Queen who handed them bravery medals.

Three soldiers from 1st Battalion The Royal Irish Regiment, based at Tern Hill, near Market Drayton, have been presented with Conspicuous Gallantry Cross (CGC) awards - one level down from the Victoria Cross.

The awards were dished out at Buckingham Palace this month following the regiment's recent tour of Afghanistan's wartorn Helmand province, which saw them combat Taliban fighters.

A citation written by a senior officer revealed Corporal Robert McClurg, 23, was awarded his CGC for his "calm and selfless leadership style".

Corporal Alwyn Stevens, 30, displayed "extraordinary courage" working with an Afghan National Army platoon.

Lance Corporal Jone Toge, 28, extracted four wounded soldiers from a "killing area" after a rocket-propelled grenade strike.

Corporal McClurg said meeting the Queen was "fantastic".

"It was a once in a lifetime experience as I might not get to meet her again," he said.

"She was asking questions about how the Afghan army are progressing."

Corporal Stevens said: "To meet The Queen was unbelievable, just brilliant. She was asking me about what the battalion is up to at the moment and when we are back in Afghanistan."

l Last month the battalion's commanding officer Lieutenant Colonel Ed Freely was arrested, interviewed and released without charge over claims award citations had been "overblown".

Major Robert Armstrong, from the Royal Artillery, was detained by Royal Military Police as part of the same probe so he could be interviewed under caution.

All the battalion's citations have been re-examined and cleared by senior officers following the probe.