RELATIVES of an Ipswich soldier, who died a year ago in Afghanistan, have today thanked his friends for marking his anniversary with them.More than 50 friends and family of Private Aaron McClure, who served with the Royal Anglian Regiment, gathered at his grave at the Ipswich Cemetery to pay their respects on the day he was killed along with two others in the Helmand Province.

RELATIVES of an Ipswich soldier, who died a year ago in Afghanistan, have today thanked his friends for marking his anniversary with them.

More than 50 friends and family of Private Aaron McClure, who served with the Royal Anglian Regiment, gathered at his grave at the Ipswich Cemetery to pay their respects on the day he was killed along with two others in the Helmand Province.

They released scores of black balloons into the sky, which were each inscribed with his name and date of birth, to mark the anniversary on Saturday and then held a minute's silence.

Allan McClure, Pte McClure's uncle, said: “It was a really difficult day. The build-up to it was bad enough as we knew the anniversary was coming up but the actual day was very hard.

“Everyone was thinking about what happened a year ago. A lot of Aaron's friends had walked all the way from Whitehouse to the cemetery carrying bunches of flowers and a lot of them don't have a lot of money.

“I was really pleased with the turn-out. We really appreciated everyone coming-they all made the effort. It is nice to know people are still thinking about Aaron and the family.

“I cannot believe a year has passed. We are all still hurting really badly. We are no further forward with the inquest. I know they have to get all the right information together but the process has got to be sped up. It is not just our families that are waiting, it is all the other families of the boys and girls who have been killed that are in limbo.”

Afterwards the group went to the Royal George pub for a meal.

Pte McClure's mother, Lorraine, was in Scotland for the anniversary with the families of Ptes John Thrumble and Robert Foster, who were killed in the same incident.

Are you doing something special to mark the death of a loved one? Write to Your Letters, Evening Star, 30 Lower Brook Street, Ipswich, IP4 1AN, or e-mail eveningstarletters@eveningstar.co.uk.