The funeral of military policeman Ben Hyde, who was one of six soldiers killed in an attack on a civilian police station in Iraq, was to take place today.

Lance Corporal Hyde, 23, died while defending a civilian police station from a mob in Al Majar Al-Kabir, near Basra last month.

L/Cpl Hyde, who was single, from Northallerton, North Yorkshire, was on his first operational tour with the Royal Military Police when he was gunned down in the southern Iraqi town.

The five other military policemen who died were Sgt Simon Hamilton-Jewell, 41, of Chessington, Surrey; Cpl Russell Aston, 30, from Swadlincote, Derbyshire; Cpl Paul Long, 24, from South Shields, South Tyneside; Cpl Simon Miller, 21, from Washington, Tyne and Wear and L/Cpl Thomas Keys, 20, from Llanuwchyllyn, near Bala, Wales.

All the victims were members of the 156 Provost Company, based in Colchester, attached to 16 Air Assault Brigade.

A qualified radio operator, L/Cpl Hyde joined the army in June 2001 and was posted to 156 Provost Company in March 2002, where he served with the Parachute Provost Platoon.

His funeral was to take place at All Saints Church, High Street, Northallerton, North Yorkshire.

The first funeral of the six was that of Cpl Simon Miller which was held at Washington Parish Church last Friday.