Soldier shot and killed in Northumberland is named

The soldier who was shot and killed at the Otterburn Training Area has been named by the Ministry of Defence.
Private Conor McPhersonPrivate Conor McPherson
Private Conor McPherson

Private Conor McPherson, from The Black Watch, 3rd Battalion, The Royal Regiment of Scotland, died while taking part in a night live firing exercise on Monday at the Northumberland facility.

Private McPherson, from Paisley, Renfrewshire, in Scotland, was 24. He enlisted into the Royal Regiment of Scotland in May 2014 as a combat infantryman. After completing his training at the Infantry Training Centre in Catterick he was posted to The Black Watch, 3rd Battalion, based at Fort George, Inverness, in February 2015.

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Commanding Officer, Lieutenant Colonel Alasdair Steele, said: "Private McPherson was a capable young soldier who had previously trained in both Kenya and France. He was hugely committed about his career in the Army, he had aspirations to join the Machine Gun platoon and attend a junior leadership course at the start of next year.

"He constantly drove to develop himself physically and was well liked among his peers for his sharp wit and sense of humour. However, Private McPherson’s true passion was to his parents and his older sister – he was part of a very close knit family, and his great joy was spending time with them at the weekends and over leave. The entire Battalion’s thoughts are very much with his family and friends."

Yesterday, Armed Forces Minister Mike Penning paid his tributes and said that 'safety of our personnel is our absolute priority'. Inquiries are ongoing to establish the circumstances behind the incident, but a Northumbria Police spokeswoman said that, at this stage, it is believed that it was a tragic accident and there are no suspicious circumstances. A joint investigation is underway between police and the Health and Safety Executive, which is being fully supported by the Ministry of Defence and the British Army.