A SOLDIER who shot and killed a colleague by mistake in an incident of friendly fire has apologised to the man's family.

Shoreham-born James Brynin was shot on an operation in central Helmand Province on October 15, 2013 in an incident of friendly fire.

Lance Corporal Brynin was part of a troop carrying out intelligence work on the Taliban and after coming under fire from enemy forces, attempted to retreat.

Having left a compound, the 22-year-old was accidentally shot by Lance Corporal of Horse Mark Kelly, an inquest at Chichester Coroner's Court heard yesterday.

Kelly told the inquest how he was moving north to a compound when his section of nine men came under fire.

Taking cover behind a wall, they could hear the thump and crack of bullets, which then started hitting the wall.

Kelly told the hearing: "I could see a light-coloured dish-dash [Taliban outfit] in the area. I could see the top half of a human.

"Once I saw him I shouted, 'There's one,' or something like that.

"Because he was so close I fired four or five rounds in quick succession.

"In my radio set someone screamed, 'Man down.'"

It was only some time later, he claims, despite cross-questioning from the family's lawyer, that he was aware of having killed one of his own.

Coroner Penelope Schofield put to Kelly: "The sad reality is that you did actually fire in the wrong direction. Would you accept that?"

Kelly said yes, and also accepted he should have been aware of the other unit's movement.

Asked if he had anything to add, Kelly turned to the family and composed himself before, on the brink of tears, he said: "I'm so terribly sorry."

A man's voice from where Brynin's family was sitting replied: "It's too late for apologies - just tell the truth; that's all I ask of you."

In a speech at a previous hearing Brynin's father Efrem said he felt let down by Army bosses and questioned the MOD's integrity.

He said: "It seems so incredibly tragic he could be taken away from us in this way."

"The fact he was shot by one of his colleagues is overwhelming and to be let down so badly is something I know he would find very hard to take."

The inquest, scheduled for two weeks, continues.