Ex-Yorkshire Marine is first Brit killed fighting Islamic State

The family of a former Royal Marine killed while fighting Islamic State in Syria have laid him to rest during a private ceremony this morning.

Erik Konstandious Scurfield, from Barnsley was buried after a funeral service in Nottingham.

The 25-year-old was the first UK national killed battling Islamic State in Syria.

There were emotional scenes at Manchester Airport today where hundreds of members of the Kurdish community from across the UK gathered to pay respects to a former marine from Barnsley.

Konstandinos Erik Scurfield, known as Kosta, became the first Briton to be killed fighting Islamic State and is being hailed a national hero by Kurds who say he died fighting for their freedom in Syria. Today they mobbed the hearse carrying his coffin and covered it in flowers as his body arrived back at Manchester Airpoirt. Chris Kiddey was there.

There have been emotional scenes today as the body of the first Briton to be killed fighting against Islamic state was brought home.

Around 250 members of the Kurdish community threw flowers over the van carrying the body of Konstandinos Erik Scurfield away from Manchester airport.

The former Royal Marine's body had arrived on a flight from Istanbul. The 25-year-old was killed fighting in Syria. His mother said this week she was immensely proud of the sacrifice that he had made.

Kosta is regarded as a national hero by the Kurdish community here in Britain.

Around 150 people - most from Britain's Kurdish community - have gathered at Manchester airport for the return of the body of Konstandinos Erik Scurfield.

The former Marine from Barnsley is the first Briton to be killed whilst fighting IS in Syria.

The body of a former marine from Barnsley is being repatriated this morning according to Kurdish campaigners. Konstandinos Erik Scurfield - known as Kosta - was the first Briton to be killed fighting against IS.

Hundreds of Kurds and friends are expected to welcome the 25-year-olds body home at Manchester airport today.

The mother of a former Marine from Barnsley has spoken of her devastation at her son's death.

Erik Scurfield was the first Briton to be killed fighting against ISIS.

Today his mother said she didn't blame him for flying out to Syria and that she was immensley proud of the sacrifice he had made. Michael Billington reports.

Schoolfriends of the former Royal Marine from Barnsley killed fighting against Islamic State in Syria say they are mourning a "real character" and remembering his "cheeky smile".

Konstandinos Erik Scurfield from Royston, was reportedly shot dead on Monday while fighting alongside Kurdish forces in the frontline village of Tel Khuzela.

Mr Scurfield's friends from Royston High School, where he studied until 2006, said they are hoping to organise a reunion event in his memory.

And they said they are struggling to reconcile the reports of his front-line fighting in Syria with the laid-back, long-haired, drama-loving teenager they knew.

Emma Hyman, 24, said his school friends have found it difficult to match the fun-loving actor who was loved by everyone in his year with the pictures they have seen of him over the last couple days in military poses wearing combat fatigues.

"He was definitely a bit of an extrovert and he wanted to be a actor," Miss Hyman said.

"He was such a people-person and when he went into the forces it was a big surprise. He wasn't a fighter. He didn't get into any fights at school or anything like that. It's a bit of a mystery because he didn't show interest in those kind of things at all at school. You put people in groups - certain things they might do with their lives and I would never have had him down as becoming a soldier."

She said he also had long hair at school, adding: "Seeing these pictures with his short, soldier hair, is really strange."

Miss Hyman said Mr Scurfield, who was known as Kosta at school, was an extremely popular student and was also very clever - in the top sets for everything.

She said he came to Royston High, which no longer exists, in his early teens from Nottingham and was immediately noticeable because he did not have the ubiquitous Barnsley accent and was "really well-spoken, very polite and very respectful".

She said: "Everybody loved him because he was a real character. He was one of those people who you couldn't find anything negative at all to say about him. He was friendly and funny and really laid back. He had such a cheeky smile. He got on with everybody. That's why it's such a shock for us all. We're trying to organise something so we can all get together and remember him. It's at the early stages at the moment. It's a shame we are going to all come together in these circumstances."

Mr Scurfield's family earlier spoke of their pride in him, while his former partner described him as "amazing" for "doing an unselfish act".

The devastated family of ex-Royal Marine Konstandinos Erik Scurfield, killed in Syria fighting Islamic State militants, have paid tribute to the soldier.

In a statement, they said:

An ex-Royal Marine killed while fighting against Islamic State militants alongside Kurdish forces originally headed to Syria to provide medical aid, an MP has said.

In an interview with Sky News, Dan Jarvis, who represents the Barnsley Central constituency, said he believed Konstandinos Erik Scurfield had travelled to the troubled region for "honourable reasons".

He urged anyone else with "legitimate concerns" about Islamic State not to travel to the Middle East, and instead support charities working in the region.