A BRAVE Territorial Army soldier from Kidderminster has been hailed a hero for saving the life of the Serbian ambassador's secretary after a dramatic bombing in war-torn Kosovo.

Pte Robert Thompson, of the B (WFR) Company, West Midlands Regiment, raced to the scene of the bomb blast to give her emergency first aid at the passport office in the Kosovan capital Pristina.

And his remarkable actions went a step further two days later when he took part in a raid to catch the bomber.

Cpt Robin Attwood, of Kidderminster's TA Centre, paid tribute to the "astonishing" reactions of Pte Thompson during the April incident, which killed the Serbian ambassador.

The 31-year-old soldier, currently on full-time attachment to the Duke of Wellington's Regiment in Kosovo, is now set to have his achievement marked by promotion to Lance Corporal when he returns from his second stint there in September.

Pte Thompson spoke exclusively to the Shuttle/Times & News and recalled the emotions of the day the horrific scenes unfolded.

He had been on patrol when the ambassador, his secretary and three other people were returning home before disaster struck.

A bomb explosion destroyed the car they were travelling in, killing the ambassador and seriously injuring his secretary, although the others miraculously escaped unhurt.

He said: "On hearing the blast I ran down the street and could see the wreckage straight away.

"The ambassador, who was responsible for running the passport office which ironically was also a supposed safe haven called the Centre for Peace and Tolerance, was clearly dead."

He added: "The secretary was in a dreadful state with multiple shrapnel wounds to the back of her head, teeth smashed into her throat and her tongue blown in half.

"Two United Nations police officers also helped me with the rescue, in particular keeping her airways open, and about 25 minutes later an ambulance arrived to take her to hospital."

The action did not end there though for Pte Thompson, who two days later helped catch the bomber and soon after heard the secretary had survived.

He said: "The bomber's details were already on a criminal file and he was traced because of saliva left on a discarded cigarette butt at the bombing scene. Myself, army colleagues and UN police were able to raid his home where we caught him."

"A further two days later the neurosurgeon who operated on the secretary visited me to tell me she had survived," added Pte Thompson.

"He said she would have died if she had not been ready to be operated on immediately, which she was because of the first aid.

"I cannot describe the joy that brought to me after such an ordeal in a war-torn place like Kosovo."

Cpt Attwood, who has overseen Pte Thompson's training at the Birmingham Road TA Centre, said: "This is a remarkable story which only serves to illustrate the value of the TA.

"Everybody here has nothing but praise for Robert's efforts.

"He is currently on leave from his second spell in Kosovo and this is an astonishing incident for him to look back on.

"Robert first passed the vital first aid courses when he was 17 but he actually went on a refresher course earlier this year. We are grateful he did."