War hero soldier stabbed to death

Guardsman McGee was awarded the Queen's Commendation for Bravery

Two 28-year-old men have been arrested after a Scottish soldier who was decorated for bravery in Iraq was fatally stabbed in Renfrewshire.

Scots Guardsman Paul McGee, 28, from Lochwinnoch, was found seriously injured in the town's McConnell Road at 0125 GMT on Sunday.

He was taken to the Royal Alexandra Hospital in Paisley but died a short time later.

The arrested men were expected to appear at Paisley Sheriff Court.

Guardsman McGee had been working in an army recruiting office in Scotland at the time of his death.

He was awarded the Queen's Commendation for Bravery in July 2008 after risking his life trying to save fellow Guardsman Stephen Ferguson while on a tour of duty in Iraq.

The whole of the Scots Guards has been shocked by the tragic death of one of its heroes Lieutenant Colonel Lincoln Jopp

Guardsman Ferguson, 31, of 1st Battalion Scots Guards, originally from Lanarkshire, was injured when his Warrior armoured vehicle slid into a canal while manoeuvring in the dark during a routine patrol near Basra city in December 2007.

Guardsman McGee and other soldiers freed him from the vehicle and gave first aid. He was flown back to the UK for medical treatment but later died from his injuries.

The citation for Guardsman McGee's award highlighted "his extraordinary determination, his bravery and his complete lack of regard for his own safety in the face of the most difficult conditions".

The dead soldier's commanding officer, Lieutenant Colonel Lincoln Jopp, said Guardsman McGee was "as brave as they come".

"The whole of the Scots Guards has been shocked by the tragic death of one of its heroes," he said.

"The men of the 1st Battalion Scots Guard and the regimental family join me in sending out sincerest and most heartfelt condolences to Paul's mother Anne, his sister Kelly and his family and friends in Lochwinnoch. We honour our fallen."

Lieutenant Colonel Jopp urged anyone with information about the incident which ended Guardsman McGee's life to contact police.