Friends and family welcome home soldier Ashley Hall after months in hospital.

IT was a hero’s welcome home last night from family and friends of a young soldier who lost both legs in a bomb attack in Afghanistan.

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Former Colchester schoolboy Ashley Hall was badly wounded in the blast in Helmand Province, Afghanistan in July and has spent nearly two months recovering in a Birmingham hospital.

The 20-year-old finally returned to his family home in Stratford St Mary on Friday and last night there was a special celebration for him at the Swan pub in the Suffolk village.

The evening capped an emotional day for Sapper Hall, who had earlier taken part in the “Bergan Relay” charity event.

The 60-leg relay went around the UK passing through major towns and cities in the space of 48 hours with the bergan, which has been taken on a number of tours of duty in Afghanistan and Iraq, passed from relayed from biker to biker.

When it arrived in Colchester, Sapper Hall and his dad, Stephen, took it in their car from Merville Barracks to the Swan pub last night before it was passed on for the next leg in its journey.

Mr Hall told the EADT it was great to have his son home.

He said: “After Ash’s accident we thought he would have to decline the relay leg but I spoke to them this morning and they were happy for him to carry it in my car, with a motorbike escort.

“He came home on Friday and he is getting used to it all – the new bits and pieces at home.

“What happened is one of those things which happens in war and he is dealing with it as best he can at the moment which you have to do.”

Sapper Hall, a former St Benedict’s College pupil, had his return home delayed after wrangling over who should pay for his care.

Although his family live in Stratford St Mary in Suffolk he is registered with a GP surgery in Ardleigh, across the border in Essex, leading to the row.

After a ten-day spell at home he is due to head to the Defence Medical Rehabilitation Centre at Headly Court in Surrey for up to a year of physio and rehabilitation work.

Although Colchester Hospital University NHS Foundation Trust is providing the short-term care for Sapper Hall, the provider of his long-term care is still undecided.

Last night’s barbecue, live music and charity raffle and the day was arranged with the help of the Invicta Foundation.

And a fun day has also been set up at St Benedict’s College in Colchester on September 12.

For more details search for The Invicta Foundation on Facebook.