THE mother of a soldier gunned down in Afghanistan said it was important people had seen footage of her son being shot so they could understand what the armed forces went through.

Footage from a helmet camera, which caught the moment Kingsman Darren Deady was shot below his left collarbone in the Nashre-Saraj district of Afghanistan, was featured on BBC programme Our War.

The 22-year-old from Westhoughton, who was serving with the Duke of Lancaster’s Regiment, died on September 10, 2010, at the Queen of Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham — nearly three weeks after he was shot.

The footage showed the moment he collapsed into the lap of Sgt Mark Wilson, who was filming using a head camera. He is also shown joking with his comrades.

Kingsman Deady’s mother, Julie Baxter, aged 47, from Wingates, said: “I had to give my consent for the footage to be used.

“I think it needed to get out to the public as civilians need to know what soldiers actually do. People don’t know how much these lads go through when they are out there.

“It took me six months until I watched the footage. You see him talking and mimicking the lads. He was always so chirpy.

“I had to see everything. I needed to know the lads looked after my boy like I would have done had I have been there. They all helped and they blamed themselves, but they did enough.

“I have seen the footage quite a few times. It hurts still, but then you can hear him talking so it’s bittersweet.”

Mrs Baxter said her son’s memory lives on as the family talks about him every day.

“We are still so proud of him,” she said. “My son, Broadie was only one when Darren was shot but he and Eddison, aged four, ask if we are going to Darren’s house, which is the church where his grave is.”

The Kingsman was one of seven sons. He is survived by Daniel, aged 26, Declan, aged 22, Devon, aged 14, Dion, aged 13, Eddison and Broadie.