By Pam McClounie

Last updated 08:08, Friday, 04 July 2008

Hundreds of mourners will gather in Wetheral on Monday for the funeral of Carlisle’s Army heroine Corporal Sarah Bryant.

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Sarah Bryant

The 26-year-old, of Cotehill, was the first female soldier to be killed in Afghanistan.

Her husband Carl, parents Des and Maureen Feely, and friends will pay their final respects in a church service at Wetheral’s Holy Trinity Church at noon before a full military burial at Wetheral Cemetery.

Military shots will be fird by soldiers at her graveside and a bugler will sound the Last Post.

Army officials and many of Sarah’s colleagues will be attending the funeral.

Parts of Wetheral will be closed to traffic as parking is at a premium. Police and the Army, who are co-ordinating some of the funeral arrangements, are advising people to arrive early for the service.

A police spokesman said: “The road between the church and the cemetery will be closed for a short time. We anticipate that this will be for 15 minutes at about 11.45am and then again at about 1pm.

“We will react accordingly if we think the road needs to be closed for longer.”

Cpl Bryant, 26, who was in the Intelligence Corps and described by her family as their own “Angel of the North”, was killed on June 17 in a roadside bombing in Afghanistan’s Helmand Province.

She was the first female soldier to die in Afghanistan, alongside Cpl Sean Robert Reeve, 28, of the Royal Signals, Lance Cpl Richard Larkin, 39, and Paul Stout, 31.

Cpl Bryant, a keen horsewoman, was posted to Afghanistan in March. She had also served in Iraq.

The former Caldew School pupil had been in the Army for six years and was based in Chicksands, Bedfordshire, as part of the Intelligence Corps’ Psychological Operations Group.

Her body was flown back to the UK two weeks ago draped in a Union flag and was met by her family.

Earlier this week the Taliban fanatic blamed for Cpl Bryant’s death was reported to have been killed.

It was reported that Sadiqullah died alongside nine fellow Taliban fighters following a missile attack that was launched from an Army Apache helicopter.

The family have requested their own flowers but donations, if desired, will be divided between Help For Heroes and The Army Benevolent Fund, c/o Walker’s Funeral Directors, 80, Wigton Road, Carlisle.

Cumbria county councillors stood in silence yesterday for one minute in tribute to Sarah and Private David Murray, from Carlisle, who was also killed in action in Afghanistan.

Council chairman Tom Clare paid tribute to both soldiers when the council met in Kendal.

The minute’s silence was also in remembrance of former county councillor Colin Liversedge, from Barrow, who died recently.

And councillors paid tribute to the council’s deputy chief executive and finance director Bob Mather, and head of legal services Brian Walker who are retiring shortly.