THE mother of a soldier serving in Afghanistan has told how she lives in constant fear of bad news, as her son puts his life on the line battling the Taliban.

Wendy Buckthought, 48, from St Issey, says she freezes for a few seconds when she hears the doorbell ring, in case it is someone bringing her bad news about her son.

Her son, Lance Sergeant Christopher Richardson, of the 1st Battalion Coldstream Guards, is currently on tour in Afghanistan. The 29-year-old has been there since October and the family has just found out it has been extended until the end of April.

Mrs Buckthought said: "For every parent there is 24/7 concern for your children. Every time I get a text message I jump and hold my breath for a few seconds and then sigh with relief when you know it's not bad news. I even wake up in the middle of the night thinking I have heard a doorbell – it's a nightmare."

Christopher decided to join the Army after leaving school and has served his country for the past 12 years in Ireland, Iraq and is currently on his second tour of Afghanistan.

His mother said: "Christopher really loves his job and has been trained to deal with the things he witnesses. He just gets stuck into it. As parents we are very proud of him but you can't help but worry. One of the worst things is trying to explain to his five-year-old son where his daddy is."

A phone call from her son prompted Mrs Buckthought to become a volunteer for Help for Heroes, a charity formed to help those who have been wounded in Britain's current conflicts.

She said: "Christopher rang me one day and he was finding it difficult to talk to me. He said that one of his boys had been seriously injured and I could tell that it had affected him quite badly. I was not sure if he was coping, as there can sometimes be weeks in-between calls, especially when he is on the front line.

"You hear these awful things on the news and you are constantly wondering if your son has been involved, or witnessed it. This is one of the reasons why I wanted to give my time to help the charity.

"By supporting the charity and raising funds we can help to give a better quality of life to those who have been injured serving our country."

Mrs Buckthought is the North Cornwall volunteer and is busy organising events. Last week she held a jumble sale at St Issey village hall which raised more than £980.

She said: "The community of St Issey alone has helped to raise more than £3,200 for Help for Heroes thanks to a charity auction at the Ring 'O Bells and someone asked for donations in lieu of presents for their 80th birthday. Thank you to everyone for their continued support."

Mrs Buckthought says she is counting the days to her son's return.

"In the meantime I will continue to send him letters and parcels to boost his morale and I know he shares the information and treats with his troops. They all really appreciate it but I really cannot wait to have him home safe."

Mrs Buckthought can be contacted on 01841 541317, e-mail wendybuckthought@btinternet.com or visit www.helpforheroes.org.uk