Prince William mourns death of pal

Prince William is mourning the death of a "close friend" who was among the four British soldiers killed in a roadside bomb attack in Iraq.

Second Lieutenant Joanna Dyer was at Sandhurst military academy at the same time as William, who finished his 44-week course last year.

They were both commissioned as officers on the same day in December during a parade at the academy attended by the Queen.

A Clarence House spokesman said: "Prince William was deeply saddened to hear the tragic news of Jo Dyer's death.

"JO was a close friend of his at Sandhurst and he is very much thinking of her family and friends right now and they will remain in his thoughts and prayers."

Second Lieutenant Dyer, from Yeovil, Somerset, was killed when a roadside bomb struck a Warrior armoured vehicle returning from patrol near Basra.

She was born in Berlin in 1982 and had gone to Sandhurst after finishing a degree in philosophy, politics and economics at Oxford University.

After receiving her commission as an officer, Second Lieutenant Dyer joined the Intelligence Corps.

She was attached to the 2nd Battalion The Duke of Lancaster's Regiment in order to gain operational experience in Iraq.

Her death so soon after leaving Sandhurst comes as Prince Harry prepares to serve in Iraq with his regiment, the Blues and Royals.

Tributes have been paid to all of the four British soldiers killed in the attack on Thursday.

The other soldiers killed were Corporal Kris O'Neill from the Royal Army Medical Corps, Private Eleanor Dlugosz, also from the Royal Army Medical Corps, and Kingsman Adam James Smith from 2nd Battalion The Duke of Lancaster's Regiment, the Ministry of Defence said.

A civilian Kuwaiti interpreter was also killed in the attack and a fifth soldier was seriously injured in the blast, which left a 3ft deep crater in the road.

The total number of British deaths in Iraq since the 2003 invasion now stands at 140.

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