MUSLIM mourners braved snow yesterday to join hundreds and pay tribute to two soldiers killed in Afghanistan – days after an extremist group vowed to march through the town.

Rifleman Aidan Howell, 19, from Sidcup, Kent, was killed in a bomb blast near Forward Operating Base Zeebrugge in the Kajaki area of Helmand province on December 28.

Sapper David Watson, 23, from Whickham, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, was killed on New Year's Eve after a controlled explosion near Patrol Base Blenheim in Sangin, Helmand Province. Hundreds of mourners lined the streets of the town to pay a respectful tribute to our war dead.

Among the mourners, were Muslim pensioners Abdul Latif, 65, and his wife Samina, 52, who have lived in the town since 1995 and branded Islam4UK as “extremists”.

Mr Latif said: “I’ve been to these repatriations about 13 times and we have great sympathy with the families who have lost their children at war. They are fighting for all of us, not just their religions, but the whole country.

“We have great respect for everyone that passes through here.

“We sit here in peace and harmony while they fight for us.

“That’s why we come here to show our respects. Although we believe in Islam we do not support Islam4UK. They are a minority of Muslims. They are extremists and we will not support them walking through Wootton Bassett.”

Steven Stratford and Pete Bell travelled over 100 miles to the repatriation to pay their respects to close friend Rifleman Aiden Howell.

Mr Stratford said: “Aiden was an excellent boy. You could not meet a nicer, better gentleman. It’s very difficult to be here. We came over 100 miles to get here but we would have walked.

“If these Muslims come to protest here it will be carnage. If they want to protest they shouldn’t do it here. This is where the soldiers come back as heroes.”

Mr Bell said: “If this Muslim group want to protest they should go to London or go to the Government – it is completely disrespectful and anti-British.

“Everyone who comes to see the soldiers through Wootton Bassett are themselves heroes. The people in Wootton Bassett are the best and treated us so kindly.”

Sarah and Bill Park, of Rodbourne Cheney, try to attend most repatriations and said the focus had remained on supporting the dead soldiers’ families.

Mrs Park said: “Obviously people are talking about the march but it did not overshadow the repatriation at all – it never would. We come to show our respect and to offer our thoughts and condolences to the families who are going through complete heartbreak.

“I don’t think we should focus on any political side of repatriations – they are, and should always remain, non-political.”

The latest deaths bring the number of those killed in Afghanistan to 108 last year. A total of 245 British troops have died since operations began in 2001.