Steven Boote was a victim of a rogue Afghan policeman. Kevin Core recalls the tributes from those who knew him
A BIRKENHEAD soldier from the Territorial Army has been named among the five killed at a checkpoint in Afghanistan.
Corporal Steven Boote, 22, of the Royal Military Police, was among five shot dead at a checkpoint on Tuesday in Helmand Province, sparking fears the Taliban had infiltrated the country’s police.
In his civilian life he was a Tesco security guard who joined his home town regiment, 107 Field Squadron Royal Engineers (volunteers) in 2006 and had ambitions to join the regular police.
A member of the Manchester Detachment of 116 Provost Company, Royal Military Police (Volunteers), he was attached to 160 Provost Company.
He completed his police training and was promoted to Lance Corporal in 2007, volunteering for duty in Afghanistan.
Known as “Booty” to comrades, he had a passion for motorbikes which he spent hours working on with his father.
Corporal Boote's family issued a statement saying: “Our son Steven was a wonderful, genuine young man.
“He would light up a room with a single smile and left a lasting impression on all he met.”
The UK military has blamed a “rogue” Afghan policeman for Tuesday's shooting in Helmand province.
The killing of five troops at the checkpoint on Tuesday has led to doubts being raised about the ability of coalition forces to handover to native forces in Afghanistan, amid concerns that security forces could have been compromised by Taliban infiltrators.
The Taliban, however, has not claimed responsibility for the attack.
His commanding officer, Lieutenant Colonel Debbie Poneskis, said: “Corporal Boote was very proud to be a Territorial Soldier, second only to his pride in being a Military Policeman.
“He worked tirelessly to ensure he was at the top of his game and showed steadfast resilience and determination in gaining a much sought after place on Operation HERRICK 11 with his regular counterparts.
“Corporal Boote was a strong character with a good sense of humour and enjoyed being round his friends and having a laugh. It was an absolute pleasure to promote him to full Corporal at the end of an exercise earlier this year.
“He utterly deserved it and the smile on his face will be my enduring image of him.”
