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Street name tribute to hero Leeds soldier
He laid down his life to save scores of others.
And now a new tribute will pay homage to the ultimate sacrifice made by hero soldier David Kirkness.
* CLICK HERE TO READ AND LEAVE YOUR TRIBUTES TO DAVID.
A street in his home town of Morley is to be named in honour of the lance corporal who died last December stopping a suicide bomber from blowing up a busy marketplace in Afghanistan.
Fittingly, the street – to be called Kirkness Court – is just a few hundred yards from the house he lived in with his girlfriend Mel MacLean and from the home of his mum and dad, Maggie and Chris.
The naming of the street was the idea of Morley councillor Terry Grayshon who said he hoped it would bring the Kirkness family some comfort.
He said: "What David did was incredibly brave and we felt that naming the new street after him would be a fitting tribute.
"Hopefully, his family and friends, when they walk past, will see it and know that we are all remembering David and get some comfort from that.
"I hope as well that it will remind them of the debt of gratitude we, as a community, owe to members of our armed forces."
He said he believed it was the first time a street had been named in memory of a British soldier who had died in the conflict in Afghanistan.
The new street is being created off Corporation Street, one of Morley's main thoroughfares.
It will be home to a new development of 22 two-bedroom social housing
flats for the over-55s. They should be finished in the New Year.
David, 24, was serving with the 3rd Battalion The Rifles in Helmand province when he acted to stop suicide bombers from detonating improvised explosives.
It is thought he and fallen colleague Rifleman James Brown may have saved scores of lives. Both were pronounced heroes by the Army.
* The family of David Kirkness, along with members of his former regiment, will be taking part in Leeds City Council's Festival of Remembrance at Morley Town Hall on Friday, November 12 at 7.30pm.
The Bishop of Leeds, The Right Reverend John Packer, will lead the service and Dr Ingrid Roscoe, Lord Lieutenant for West Yorkshire, will light a candle in remembrance of those who have died in conflict. The mayors of Leeds and Morley will also be in attendance.
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Friday 25 May 2012
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