A VETERAN of the Falklands War, from Blackwood, has died just weeks after being honoured by King Charles.

Paratrooper Denzil Connick was handed the British Empire Medal by the King in June after devoting his life to helping fellow veterans.

He had been suffering from cancer and died in hospital. He was 66 years old.

Gen Hew Pike, his commanding officer in the conflict, said: "Denzil was one of the great characters."

Mr Connicck was 25 when he lost his leg after being hit with a mortar round during the Battle of Mount Longdon in 1982.

However, after being discharged from the army two years later he set out to help other veterans recover from their traumatic mental injuries.

Mr Connick helped set up group SAMA 82 — the South Atlantic Medial Association 1982 — dedicated to those who fought in the Falklands to take soldiers back to the islands to help them cope with trauma.

Speaking last year, he said: "For us veterans, we think about it every day, the memories of what we witnessed and those who we lost.

"Even though all those years have gone by all of us still remember the actions we were involved in for the rest of our lives.

"People say that by looking backwards, we’re not going to improve but without looking back, we won’t learn from the mistakes of the past to build a better future."

Mr Connick, has also advocated for veterans from other conflicts and called on the UK Government to provide better support.

Speaking of his award at the King's Birthday Honours, Mr Connick said. "It came out of the blue. It's humbling."