Doncaster war hero Ben Parkinson supports cadets at supermarket bag pack

The Afghanistan veteran posed for a photo with members of the 1053 (Armthorpe) Squadron RAF Air Cadets who were bag packing for the RAF Benevolent Fund at the Lakeside branch of Asda.

Former paratrooper Ben, the most severely injured soldier to survive the war in Afghanistan, has become an inspiration since suffering horrific injuries two decades ago.

He had to have both his legs amputated, broke his back and suffered lasting brain damage when the Land Rover he was travelling in struck a landmine in 2006.

He defied doctors’ expectations by learning to walk and talk again and regularly raises money for veteran's charities with his case forcing the Ministry of Defence to significantly increase compensation payouts to wounded British soldiers.[

In June 2012, he successfully carried the Olympic flame through Doncaster and was cheered on by thousands of wellwishers as he walked on prosthetic legs.