Tributes have been paid to the 100th member of the British armed forces to die in action in Iraq - a dedicated officer who overcame the odds to pass out at Sandhurst and follow his lifelong dream of fighting for his country.

Second Lieutenant Jonathan Carlos Bracho-Cooke was killed when a roadside bomb hit a routine patrol in Basra.

The 24-year-old, of Sandringham Close, Hove, had yearned all his life to join the Army.

Despite having dyslexia, being slightly small in stature and not having a university degree, he beat stiff competition to be accepted for officer training at the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst.

He graduated as a second lieutenant last April and had been in Iraq just six weeks.

Jonathan, who was serving with the 2nd Battalion The Duke of Lancaster's Regiment, was due to marry his fiancée Laura Bottomley in August.

But he died on Monday after a bomb exploded as armoured Warrior vehicles patrolled near the US consulate in south-east Basra. A number of Iraqi civilians were wounded.

In a statement his father, also called Jonathan, said: "Jonathan Carlos had an attractive and outgoing personality who made friends easily and will be sorely missed by all who knew him.

"He had a natural inclination to protect the weak and vulnerable and saw a career in the Army as a way of achieving this.

"He was engaged to be married to Laura Bottomley, also 24, at the Sandhurst College chapel on August 9 this year. He also leaves his parents Jonathan and Patricia and his elder sister Lucy.

"While they are all devastated by their loss, they find some comfort in the knowledge Jonathan Carlos had achieved the long-held ambition for which he had worked and trained so hard."

Mr Cooke said that from an early age, his son's ambition was to join the Army and as soon as he reached 17 he walked through the gates of the Territorial Army barracks in Dyke Road, Brighton, to enlist in the Royal Signals.

He served a six-month tour of duty in Bosnia in 2002.

He then went to Basra the week before Christmas, where he was in command of light armoured vehicles patrolling the city.

Speaking at his home yesterday afternoon, Mr Cooke said the family was struggling to come to terms with the news and Laura was "very distressed".

He said: "We are all devastated."

Jonathan was described by his commanding officer as "bright, enthusiastic and charismatic".

A eulogy released by the Ministry of Defence described him as a "promising" young officer.

Known to his friends as BC, Jonathan, whose mother is originally from Mexico, was a former pupil of Cardinal Newman Catholic School in Hove.

Yesterday the Cooke family home was crowded with visitors who came to share their grief.

Neighbour George Andrew said he and his wife Linda shed tears when they heard. Mr Andrew, 59, a builder, said: "I have known him since he was about eight. All that boy ever wanted to do was go into the Army.

"When he got into Sandhurst, he was over the moon. He had to train hard. They don't just send ordinary lads there.

"I have seen him in wind, rain and snow running to get his physical fitness up.

"I spoke to him in November. He told me he was going to Iraq. He was very happy about it. There was no fear in him. The Army would have been his life.

"When he was about 14 he was obsessed with it. He would have been officer material, there's no doubt about it. He was very proud of his regiment.

"He had only been there six weeks. He would never have shirked anything that was asked of him. You know when you meet people and you know they do their duty. That was Jon. He was a very respectful lad. I shall miss him."

Fellow neighbour Lesley Stevens, who knew Jonathan all his life, said: "It is terribly sad. It is an absolute waste of a beautiful life."

She remembered him as a "friendly and caring" man who helped a neighbour build a tractor for her grandson.

Mrs Stevens said: "They're just a lovely family. They will be devastated. They expected him back any time because he was getting married. It was such a shock."

The Ministry of Defence eulogy said Jonathan was "devoted" to his fiancée Laura and would talk "passionately" about his wedding plans.

"Hugely talented and extremely popular, he will be remembered as a loving fiancé, talented officer, comrade and friend," it read.

Jonathan was commanding the Warrior patrol in the As Sarraji district of Basra City when the bomb exploded, the MoD said.

The eulogy said he was "diligent and eager to learn" and had a bright career ahead. He was a "respected" officer who was seen as a "caring and compassionate"leader by the soldiers under his command.

It read: "They feel privileged and honoured to have had him as their platoon commander."

Second Lieutenant Chris Ibbotson, who went through training and joined the regiment with Jonathan, said: "He was faultless, the nicest guy you could hope to meet.

"His sense of humour was key to who he was. He was fit too and a better runner than most, no matter how many cigarettes he smoked."

His commanding officer Lieutenant Colonel Simon Hutchinson said: "Jonathan Bracho-Cooke was a fine young platoon commander who had quickly established himself under very difficult conditions.

"He stood out as a bright, enthusiastic and charismatic officer. We are proud he chose to be one of us and are desperately sad to have lost him."

A total of 131 UK service personnel have died since the start of hostilities in 2003. Of those, 100 are classed as being killed in action or dying from wounds sustained from action.