The bodies of eight servicemen who died in Afghanistan last week will be coming home to Britain today.

The bodies of eight soldiers killed in Afghanistan during one 24-hour period will be flown back to Britain later today (14 July).

Thousands of people are expected to descend upon the small town of Wootton Bassett, near RAF Lyneham, in Wiltshire later today to pay their respects to the fallen and their families.

On Monday, soldiers in Helmand province held their own memorial for the deceased.

Corporal Jonathon Horne and Riflemen William Aldridge, James Backhouse, Joseph Murphy and Daniel Simpson, who died in Helmand on Friday (10 July) were part of the County Down-based 2nd Battalion The Rifles.

While helping their comrades after an explosion, they died when a second blast hit. Rifleman Murphy was carrying Rifleman Simpson, who had been injured in the previous blast, at the time.

The procession today will also include the body of Cpl Lee Scott, of 2nd Royal Tank Regiment, who died in a separate explosion on the same day.

The average age of the soldiers who died was 20 years old.

Private John Brackpool of Prince of Wales’ Company, 1st Battalion Welsh Guards, killed while on operations, and Rifleman Daniel Hume of 4th Battalion The Rifles, killed in a contact explosion, will also be returning to Wootton Bassett.

Prime Minister Gordon Brown said: “The last ten days have been extraordinarily difficult. My thoughts are with the families of the brave servicemen who have been killed.

“The sacrifice that they have made in the service of our country will never be forgotten.”

The government has faced harsh criticism in light of the recent deaths over claims that troops in Afghanistan are underequipped to deal with the job at hand.

In total, 184 service personnel have died in Afghanistan since 2001.