Lance Corporal Jamie Webb: Tributes pour in to 'bright, engaging and hugely talented' British soldier killed in insurgent attack in Afghanistan Lance Corporal Jamie Webb died of his injuries in hospital a day after attack 1st Battalion The Mercian Regiment soldier was on his second tour Parents Dave and Sue, from Greater Manchester, said they are 'so proud' Captain Richard Sawyer: He was 'undoubtedly one of life's true characters' He is the 441st service member to die in Afghanistan since 2001 Lance Corporal Jamie Webb, from the Mercian Regiment, who was killed in Afghanistan during an insurgent attack A British soldier who died in Afghanistan yesterday after an insurgent attack has been named as Lance Corporal Jamie Webb. L/Cpl Webb, 24, who served in 1st Battalion The Mercian Regiment, died from wounds sustained during the attack on his patrol base in the Nad-e Ali District of Helmand Province on Monday. His family issued a statement tonight that read: 'We are so proud of Jamie being a Mercian soldier Jamie is loved by his dad Dave, mum Sue and his close family and friends. At least ten British troops were injured after the suspected suicide bombing. L/Cpl Webb, who was born in Wythenshawe, Greater Manchester, is the first British soldier to be killed in Afghanistan for more than two months and the third so far in 2013. He had already served in Northern Ireland, Iraq and was on his second tour of Afghanistan when he was killed. Paying tribute to the soldier, Commanding Officer Lieutenant Colonel Phil Kimber described him as 'a real character, a totally professional soldier and a great friend to many'. He said: 'Lance Corporal Webb was exactly the type of man you wanted around. Always with a smile on his face, always willing to engage in some witty and mischievous banter, he really did lift the morale of all around him. He was also an outstanding professional; bright, engaging and hugely talented. He had an obvious gift for intelligence work, which ensured he was at the heart of all that his company did on this tour. Lance Corporal Webb was surrounded by his friends when he was injured. These friends and all in 1 Mercian Battlegroup will miss him terribly. We have lost a great soldier and a great friend. Despite our grief we are acutely aware of the indescribable loss his family will now be feeling and it is his family that our thoughts and prayers are now with. L/Cpl was injured while on patrol in the Helmand province of Afghanistan and died in hospital yesterday (file picture) Captain Richard Sawyer said the soldier was 'undoubtedly one of life's true characters'. He said: 'Never one to hide from the limelight, he was always ready to treat those around him, be it a Private soldier or the Officer Commanding, to one of his impressions or jokes - which invariably resulted in hilarity for all those present. Jamie Webb was constant morale. Having deployed to Afghanistan previously, he was a committed soldier but it was his unique and loveable personality that makes him unforgettable. It was clear to all how much he enjoyed working with his mates in the Army and how much he loved his family. L/Cpl Webb, who went to Wilmslow High School and Macclesfield College, joined the Army aged 18. He enlisted aged 18 and joined 1st Battalion The Cheshire Regiment in September 2006. His first posting was to Ballykinler, Northern Ireland and on return he deployed to Iraq on Operation TELIC 11. He spent three months in Iraq with B Company involved in security operations. In January 2009, L/Cpl Webb moved from B Company to C Company where he continued to 'shine as an intelligent, fit and enthusiastic soldier'. On his first Afghanistan tour in 2010, the soldier, known as Webby, served as a rifle section second-in-command in the Nar-e Saraj area operating with the Danish Battlegroup. Although only a private at the time he undertook the role of a Junior Non-Commissioned Officer and 'developed a reputation for hard work, strong leadership and reliability.' He was quickly recommended for promotion. The soldier's death takes the number of UK service members who have died in Afghanistan since 2001 to 441 L/Cpl Webb deployed on his second tour of Afghanistan last October as part of Transition Support Unit Nad-e Ali. Platoon commander Lieutenant Jack Brierley said: 'For a man small in stature, he had a bigger personality than anyone I have ever met. Through the employment of his unique and somewhat left-of-field sense of humour, he made sure that if you were near him, you had a smile on your face. Keen, compassionate, proactive, competent, intelligent are all words that do not come close enough to describing L/Cpl Webb. Philip Hammond, Secretary of State for Defence, said he was 'very saddened' to hear of the soldier's death. He said: 'Lance Corporal Webb died as he served - fighting to protect the national security of the United Kingdom. My deepest sympathies are with his family, friends and colleagues at this time. L/Cpl Webb's death takes to 441 the number of UK service members who have lost their lives since operations in Afghanistan began in October 2001 and the third to die so far in 2013.