THE bravery of British armed forces has always been taken for granted, and it is always sad to see our soldiers returning home injured from wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

It is particularly upsetting to see a local young man, Andy Barlow, lose part of his leg after he stepped on a mine in Afghanistan trying to help an injured colleague.

But what is truly brave is his response and that of his family to his life-changing injury. When his family saw him in hospital he was laughing and joking, and told them he intends to return to the army, working in recruitment, once he has recovered.

And his no-doubt distraught family have shown their own brave face by not using his injury to jump on the anti-government bandwagon, as many others have. They say he was just doing his job, and add that the whole family is extremely proud of him. So they should be.

It is fine young men like Andy Barlow who are the backbone of the British armed forces - rightly known the world over for their bravery and professionalism.

Whatever your view on the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, while our forces are embroiled in vicious fighting in a hostile terrain, we should support them 100 per cent.