TRIBUTES have been paid to a retired Hampshire army colonel who has been shot dead during a robbery at his son’s home in Nairobi.

Colonel Edward “Ted” Loden, 73, who was awarded the Miltary Cross during an exemplary military career, was killed in a suspected attempted robbery on Saturday night after armed men forced their way into the compound.

The colonel, 73, and his wife Jill had been in Kenya for the past few weeks visiting their son Jamie, who is an executive with Barclays Africa and lives in Nairobi with his young family. No one else was injured in the attack.

Friends in their home town of Fordingbridge said the Lodens were held up by an armed gang on returning home from dinner at Hemingways Nairobi, a luxury hotel and restaurant in the nearby suburb of Karen. The thieves are believed to have stolen jewellery and money before shots were fired through the rear window of the Lodens’ vehicle.

Col Loden attended the Roman Catholic Church in Fordingbridge, and spearheaded its campaign for a new meeting place. He also attended St James’ Church in Alderholt with his wife Jill.

The vicar there Pip Martin said: “We are desperately sad and upset about what has happened.

“Edward was an old fashioned adventurous sort – he bought a bright yellow microlight after he retired and we would see him buzzing about.

“I didn’t realise until we heard about this tragedy what a distinguished career he had – he was a humble man and never mentioned it.

“He had only recently beaten throat cancer, too. He was a lovely man.”

A family statement described Colonel Loden as a “devoted family man and proud grandfather” and said his death was a “brutal tragedy”. The statement added: “Edward, married to Jill, father of Jamie and Will, was a devoted family man and proud grandfather of Oliver, Amelia, Joshua, Harry and Emily.

“Jill and her sons would like to say thank you to all the overwhelming messages of love and support from wider friends and family, and request that the family be given time to come to terms with this brutal tragedy.”

The grandfather of five is the second retired British colonel to be killed in Kenya in the past two weeks. Colonel David Parkinson, 58, was killed during a botched robbery at his home last month.