AN inquest into the death of a Runcorn soldier who died in a car crash whilst serving in Afghanistan has been adjourned.

Col Sgt Martyn Horton, aged 34, was killed with three colleagues from the Mercian Regiment when their armoured Ridgeback vehicle overturned into a canal near Gereshk in Helmand province on June 23, 2010.

He died alongside Lance Corp David Ramsden, aged 26, from Leeds, Private Douglas Halliday, aged 20, from Wallasey, and Private Alex Isaac, aged 20, from the Wirral.

They were members of a police advisory team travelling in a two-vehicle convoy.

They had been responding to a call for assistance from the Afghan National Police at a checkpoint after it came under fire.

The inquest was expected to last for two weeks at Wiltshire and Swindon Coroner’s Court.

The hearing was adjourned after new evidence came to light and will resume on April 20, 2015.

A loud bang and a cry of ‘we’re going in’ were heard moments before the vehicle rolled down a steep bank into the Nahr-e Bughra canal, the inquest had heard.

Lt Col Paul Dupuy, commanding officer of the Gereshk operation co-ordination centre district, told the inquest: “It had been described to me as incredibly dangerous.”

He said the risks included improvised explosive devices, suicide bombers and direct attacks.