A PROFESSIONAL singer-songwriter has released a moving tribute about the death of a soldier and the Malvern Hills.

Born in Hereford, but now living in the West Country, Jimmy Leese wrote the song On Malvern’s Hills (Death of a Soldier) after a family friend died while serving in Afghanistan.

Although the young soldier’s identity has been kept secret, he had spent a lot of his childhood years on the Malvern Hills, and the song was written after Mr Leese heard about the tragedy from the man’s mother.

“It was just devastating news and you really don’t know what to say to someone when they tell you something like that, so I wrote the song,” he said.

The song, which can be heard and bought on Mr Leese’s website, describes how the soldier’s dying words were that he thought he could see the Malvern Hills in the distance.

“It just brings a shiver to my spine when I think of it,” said Mr Leese.

The single is available to listen to and download on his website jimmyleese.co.uk and a minimum of 10 per cent of the sale of the single will be donated to either the Afghanistan Trust or the Royal British Legion.

Mr Leese hopes that he will be able to raise a lot of money for the two charities through the sale of his new single.

He describes his music as: “Tuneful, country-flavoured songs with a modern feel that puts them right in the here and now musicwise.”