Ex-marine auctions Military Cross

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An ex-Royal Marine who was the youngest serviceman to receive the Military Cross has put his medal up for auction so that he can support his family.

Liam Armstrong, 27, of Carlisle, won the medal in 2003 for bravery and leadership in Afghanistan.

He wants to ensure his daughter Lydia, two, gets all she needs and could raise up to £30,000 selling the medal, along with three others.

Mr Armstrong served in the Arbroath- based 45 Commando until 2005.

During Operation Jacana in 2002, Mr Armstrong seized nine armed men during a raid on a suspected al-Qaeda stronghold and weapons cache along with a colleague from Zulu Company.

I'm not a rich man and the sale will ensure our future as a family. Whatever I need to do to achieve that, I'll do it. Liam Armstrong

He was able to get the men to surrender and hold them as prisoners - all without a shot being fired.

His actions helped uncover a cache of mortar rounds, rockets and 65,000 rounds of small arms ammunition.

Mr Armstrong, who now works as a trackman for Story Rail, is also selling his Operational Service Medals 2000, one with a Sierra Leone ribbon and the other with an Afghanistan clasp as well as the Campaign Service Medal 1962 with the Northern Ireland clasp.

"I just want to make sure my daughter has got everything she needs," said Mr Armstrong.

"I'm not a rich man and the sale will ensure our future as a family. Whatever I need to do to achieve that, I'll do it."

The auction will be conducted by specialist coins and medals auctioneers Morton and Eden in association with Sotheby's on 15 December.