TRIBUTES have been paid in St Ives to a popular and loyal soldier who was killed when on foot patrol while he was helping to clear enemy positions in Afghanistan, writes John Hancock.

Sergeant Paul Fox, known as Foxy, was a member of a close-knit St Ives family.

He was described by his family as "a loved and loving father, husband, son, brother and grandson".

The popular soldier was also said to be an "immensely loyal friend" to those who knew him both in civilian life and the Army.

Born in Manchester in 1975, Paul Maurice Fox moved with parents Maurice (Moz) and Alex, and sister, Evelyn, to St Ives in 1986.

Smile

Often described as a "loveable rascal", Paul was said to make lifelong friends wherever he went, armed with a ready wit, disarming smile and his legendary loyalty.

An early interest in pyrotechnics and explosives, as his father has wryly observed, suited Paul well to an Army career.

He later rose to become a sergeant, and was a demolition and explosives expert in his chosen career as a combat engineer.

Captain Eddie Thompson RE, Quartermaster (Technical) 28 Engineer Regiment, said: "I knew Foxy all his career, a brilliant soldier and loveable rogue – one of my fondest memories of him was when he was a young lance corporal.

"Rumour had got to me that he had smashed the glass in the door of my squadron bar after a couple of shandies.

"I went into work ready for him, however, on inspection, the door was perfect.

"Later on that day my eyebrows were raised when I noticed a door missing from the warrant officers' mess."

From a young age, he loved to wear his father's hard hat around the house and often chose camouflage clothes so that he "couldn't be seen".

But, for all his many achievements, Paul never took himself too seriously.

He played rugby, boxed to a champion level and excelled in football.

A school report from his boxing coach said he "demonstrated a natural ability to control aggression and apply the skills taught in a controlled and skilful manner".

Albert Fox, who managed both St Ives and Halsetown football teams where Paul played, described him as "a popular player who gave 100% from start to finish and never had a bad game".

But the first love of Paul's life was his family. He married Charlotte in 2005 and was the proud and loving father of 11-year-old Jack (from a previous relationship), five-year-old Archie and 20-month-old Ruby.

The family returned to live in the St Ives area a few years ago from Hameln in Germany where his posting had taken them.

Hand-picked

Paul left school at 16, in 1994, joining the Army a year later at the start of a career which took him training to Canada, South Africa and the Falklands.

In addition to Germany, he served in Northern Ireland, Kosovo, Iraq and, latterly, Afghanistan, a role in which he had been hand-picked for the elite Brigade Reconnaissance Force (BRF).

It was while engaged on Operation Dark Rest, to kill or capture a group of Taliban near the town of Marjah in central Helmand, that he met his death.

He had told his family that, though the mission was dangerous, he was doing what he wanted to do, what he loved to do.