Black Watch soldier dies in Iraq base incident

A British soldier has died in an incident at an air base in Iraq.

The Ministry of Defence (MOD) said the death of Captain Dean Sprouting was not the result of enemy activity.

Aninvestigationhasbeen launched into the incident that occurred at Iraq’s Al Asad Air Base on 31 January. The exact cause of his death remained unknown last night.

Capt Sprouting, of the Adjutant General’s Corps at the air base, was serving with the Black Watch, 3rd Battalion, Royal Regiment of Scotland.

Lieutenant Colonel Rob Hedderwick, commanding officer of the Black Watch, said: “It is hard to do justice to a man such as Dean Sprouting with simple words.

“In no time at all he had become an indispensable part of the battalion, not only for his professional expertise, but also for his compassionate manner and camaraderie. His intelligence and sharp wit was apparent from the outset. There was an ever-present twinkle in his eye.”

The father-of-two from Denny in Stirlingshire joined the army in 1989 and had served in places including Northern Yugoslavia, Cyprus and Kosovo, Sudan, Angola and Germany.