Inquest into death of Swanley soldier Sapper Mark Smith begins at North Kent Coroner's Court

Sapper Mark Smith was killed on July 26, 2010, in the Sanguin area of Helmand District, Afghanistan, as he was part of a counter improvised explosive device task force removing a bomb.

While elements of the counter-improvised device clearance team were moving into position, a smoke screen was requested to enable their movement.

As this was being undertaken, one of the smoke shells is believed to have fallen short of its intended target, and killed the 26-year-old.

The Swanley soldier’s family was in attendance at North Kent coroner’s court, at Gravesend town hall, including his mother Helen Smith.

Lawyer Olive Doherty is representing the family and began by questioning Lieutenant Colonel Edward James Moorehouse about what happened that day.

The Royal Marine commanding officer, from the other company which was operating on the day Sapper Smith died, said: "The area was complex territory and it was hard to see.

"We had actively migrated much of the security responsibility to the Afghans, which gave me the chance to go hunt the bad guys, to put it like an American.

"The reason we had used the 105mm smoke is because we had used all of the 81mm smoke."

He told the inquest he had no recollection of specifically being trained on 105mm smoke shells and said he had no recollection of being warned by his subordinates about that line of trajectory.

The shells are ammunition used for screening and counter surveillance purposes while in combat.

He said: "It was not for me to fret about what the smoke goes over, it was about if it lands in the right spot."

Lt Col Moorehouse told the inquest how an earlier smoke shell had fallen short at around 2.30pm that day but no-one was hurt and he gave orders for the aim to be adjusted.

The second round to fall short hit Sapper Smith a few hours later.

The fatal shell fell 264m short of its target.

The hearing continues.