A dog handler and his bomb-sniffing springer spaniel, who died within hours of each other in Afghanistan, are to be flown home to Britain together. They worked as a team searching for bombs and explosives.
Lance Corporal Liam Tasker was shot dead on Tuesday while the pair were on patrol in southern Helmand province. His spaniel Theo died of a seizure shortly afterwards.
The Ministry of Defence said on Friday the 22-month-old dog's ashes would be brought back to Britain on the same flight as L/Cpl Tasker.
Three weeks ago, Theo had been praised by the Ministry of Defence for finding 14 hidden bombs and weapons caches in just five months - a record for a dog and handler.
The spaniel, on his first tour of duty in Afghanistan, had uncovered so many improvised explosive devices (IEDs) that his time in the country was extended by a month.
Major Caroline Emmett, the officer commanding 104 Military Working Dog Squadron, paid tribute to a handler and dog that were "made for each other".
"Lance Corporal Tasker was an Arms Explosive Search dog handler and trainer of the highest calibre," she said.
"He and his dog had more operational finds than any individual team has had in Afghanistan to date and he saved many lives as a result of this. He was so proud of his achievements and I was so proud of him."
