A "consummate professional soldier" from Bolton died after "just doing his job" in Afghanistan, mourners at his funeral heard.

Corporal Jack Stanley, aged 26, from The Queen's Royal Hussars (The Queen's Own and Royal Irish) died at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham on April 8 after he was caught in an explosion from an improvised explosive device (IED) on February 3.

The soldier was a section commander who deployed to Afghanistan with C (Coriano) Company, Combined Force Lashkar Gah (The Queen's Royal Hussars Battle Group) last October.

Hundreds paid respects to him at Holy Trinity Church in Littleborough today, including his mother Brenda, father Tom, sisters Rachel, Larissa and Joanne, and his girlfriend Sarah.

In an address to the congregation, the Queen's Royal Hussars chaplain the Rev Peter King said: "He routinely faced danger up close and personal while responsible for the safety of those in his command. The consummate professional soldier, he did his job extremely well. Jack would always say he was just doing his job."

Those sentiments were echoed by his family, who said in a statement issued before the service: "Jack disliked the terms hero and brave. He would say he was just doing his job.

Rev King told mourners that Cpl Stanley had been commended for saving the life of an Afghan police sergeant during an blast from an IED and he had defied medical experts to regain consciousness in hospital in Birmingham - and have precious time with his loved ones.

Cpl Stanley was treated in Afghanistan and the UK after he was wounded while on a patrol aimed at improving understanding of the area and the local population in Pupalzay Kalay, east of Lashkar Gah.

He was crossing into a field when he was caught in the blast and airlifted to a medical facility at Camp Bastion before being transferred to Birmingham, where he died with his family at his hospital bedside. A private committal service followed the funeral.

Donations in his memory may be given to the Jack Stanley Support Fund through the website www.jackstanley.org.