The mother of a Bradford paratrooper, hailed a hero after he was killed helping a wounded friend, said she was sure his courageous comrades would have done the same for him.

Private Martin Bell, 24, was fatally wounded by a bomb blast from an improvised explosive device in Afghanistan.

He had disobeyed a direct order in order to help a comrade injured by a separate explosive device.

Speaking alongside her husband, Simon, at their home in Brander Close, Idle, last night, his mother, Elaine, said: “I know that they are saying that Martin was a hero but to Simon and I, they are all heroes.

“I’m sure if the tables had been turned, his friend would have done the same for Martin, because that is what they do. They are very strong and look after each other.

“He knew the risks. He died doing what they trained him to do. What can a parent say that has lost a child in such tragic circumstances?

“They are all courageous.”

Pte Bell, who was serving in the 2nd Battalion, The Parachute Regiment, was fatally wounded while he was on patrol to the south of Nahr-e-Saraj in Helmand province on Tuesday.

He had followed his maternal grandfather, George William Chivers, into the Parachute Regiment and was on his first tour of Afghanistan.

Mrs Bell, 53, said: “My father just loved the stories when Martin told him what he had had to put up with. He was so looking forward to him coming home.”

A loving “family-orientated” man, Pte Bell was also looking forward to spending time with his 26-year-old brother Oliver’s baby daughter Hollie Mae.

He also leaves another brother and “close friend” Philip, 22.

Mrs Bell, who works for HM Revenue and Customs in Shipley, added: “We always believed that Martin was born under a lucky star. I fully, truly believed that he would have come back home to us – the worry was not there.

“I thought ‘we have three boys and we will always have three boys’.”

Pte Bell flew to Afghanistan on his 24th birthday on October 13 and was due back in the UK on Valentine’s Day.

His dad Simon, 52, a former Telegraph & Argus print worker, said his son coped well with the harsh Afghan environment, apart from the freezing nights.

Mr Bell said: “He never mentioned bombs or bullets, just him finding it so cold at night.”

He added: “He wouldn’t worry us about anything.”

Lieutenant Colonel Andrew Harrison, Commanding Officer, 2 Para, said Pte Bell died “going to the assistance of a critically-injured friend in the most dangerous combat circumstances imaginable”.

He said: “The term ‘hero’ is overused in contemporary commentary; take a moment to reflect on the image of Martin Bell, a 24-year-old Paratrooper who disobeyed a direct order in order to render life-saving first aid to his colleague.

“For that exceptional valour he paid the ultimate price.”

Senior officers in Airedale and North Bradford Police also paid tribute to Pte Bell, who worked as a PCSO in Keighley and the Worth Valley for three years before joining the Paras.

Chief Inspector Mark Allsop, who was his inspector when he worked for the division, said: “He was a well-respected and popular member of his team, always willing to help others and having a cheeky grin.”

Pte Bell was the 350th UK military fatality in Afghanistan since operations began in 2001.