By Phil Colemanand Anna Burdett

Last updated 13:40, Monday, 23 June 2008

PUPILS at Caldew School near Dalston listened in silence today as they watched a moving TV interview with the father of former pupil Sarah Bryant, who was killed in Afghanistan last week.

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The interview with Des Feely, 55, was shown to about 200 pupils at the school as a tribute to26-year-old Sarah.

The first British female soldier killed in Afghanistan, Sarah’s body was due to be flown back to the UK today.

Mr Feely and Sarah’s mother Maureen will be at RAF Lyneham in Wiltshire this afternoon to meet the plane carrying the coffin with their daughter’s body.

They plan to hold her funeral at the Wetheral church where she was married two-and-a-half years ago.

It is understood her best friend, Krista Whelpdale, will accompany Sarah’s husband Carl to today’s repatriation.

Krista, who grew up with Sarah near Carlisle, flew back from her Dublin home in Ireland last week when she heard about the tragedy.

She told a national newspaper that today would be the hardest of her life.

She added: “But I’ll be there for my very best friend. Sarah was a one-off and I’ll never forget her.”

Sarah was working on a secret counter-terrorism operation in the Lashkar Gah region of southern Afghanistan when the Land Rover she was in was shattered by a booby-trap bomb. Three SAS reservists were also killed in the blast.

At Caldew School this morning, pupils sat entranced as they watched Des Feely interviewed on TV about Sarah’s death.

“Her smile shone through,” said Mr Feely, describing his daughter’s weeding day photograph. At one point, he was too choked with emotion to continue speaking.

Many pupils looked close to tears after watching the interview on a video screen.

“It was very upsetting watching him talk about losing their only daughter,” said Hannah Stobart.

Assistant head teacher Chris Quinn said: “It’s about raising awareness amongst the youngsters of what is happening in the world, and the impact that it is having of families such as those of Sarah and the young soldier David Murray, whose funeral is tomorrow in Carlisle.”

The plane carrying Sarah will land at around 3pm.

n Carlisle soldier Private Charles David Murray, 19, will be buried with full military honours at St James’ Church, Denton Holme, tomorrow.