THE families of two Gurkhas, one from County Durham, who were killed by a man wearing an Afghan police uniform sobbed as their bodies were repatriated to the UK today (Thursday, November 8).

Lieutenant Edward Drummond-Baxter, from Consett, and Lance Corporal Siddhanta Kunwar, of 1st Battalion The Royal Gurkha Rifles, were shot dead at a checkpoint in Nahr-e Saraj, Helmand Province on October 30.

The men were killed in the latest green-on-blue attack on British troops in Afghanistan, bringing the number of British servicemen killed by Afghan soldiers or police to 11 this year.

The bodies of Lt Drummond-Baxter, 29, and L/Cpl Kunwar, 28, were flown into RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire, where the Union flag-draped coffins were carried from the plane with full military honours.

Following private services, the two families arrived at the memorial garden in Carterton where they stood in silence along with more than 100 friends and well-wishers who fell quiet as a bell began to toll.

Royal British Legion standard-bearers slowly lowered their flags as family members started to sob when they caught sight of the cortege.

The hearses paused briefly next to a Union flag hung at half mast to allow family members and friends to step forward and place flowers on top of the cars.

Several white scarfs were also tied to both of the hearses.

As the cars pulled away there was a round of applause by members of the public who came to pay their respects.

Lt Drummond-Baxter and L/Cpl Kunwar were attached to 40 Commando Royal Marines and were attending a meeting with Afghan uniformed policemen when one of the men opened fire, the Ministry of Defence said.