A regional press photographer who travelled to Afghanistan had been on patrol with two soldiers just 36 hours before they were killed by a roadside bomb.

The Derby Evening Telegraph today reports the death of Private Ben Ford and Private Damian Wright, who were killed instantly when an explosion ripped through their Wimik Land Rover on Wednesday.

They were serving with the 2nd Battalion The Mercian Regiment, which Evening Telegraph photographer Adam Gerrard had stayed with in the Helmand Province for the past week.

He flew out on August 27, and spent more than a week taking pictures and video footage for the Evening Telegraph and sister paper the Nottingham Evening Post.

He was on a flight back to the UK on Thursday night when he saw Lance Corporal Ryan Knight, who was also injured in the blast. An interpreter who was also hurt later died.

Adam said he intially spotted a stretcher and when the casualty put his hand up and beckoned him over he realised it was one of the soldiers he had been on patrol with.

He said: "He grabbed my hand. I can't remember the exact words but it was something like ' they got Wrighty and Fordy'.

"Seeing him lying there really made it hit home what had actually happened.

"I was stunned after hearing the news and feel privileged to have met them and honoured to have photographed them."

On Monday, just two days before the soldiers were killed, Adam had been with them on a similar patrol and they had been told they may be passing through an area which could be scattered with roadside bombs.

Adam said: "We were fully briefed on the dangers. But I was pretty confident that if there was anything out there, those guys would pick it up. They were so professional.

"I felt safe. There was not one time that I didn't feel safe."