Anyone joining the armed forces does so in the knowledge and understanding that their’s is a tough career choice.

Serving with any section of the military is not a soft option.

To join special forces by their very nature is to commit to a series of punishing training routines that will test anyone’s endurance levels to the limit.

This would gave been known to Lance Corporal Edward Maher of Winchester who undertook such a career move.

Yet his death during a training exercise on the Brecon Beacons last year was wholly avoidable, a coroner ruled yesterday.

In conditions of extreme heat, Edward and colleagues were put through their paces with insufficient consideration to risk, provision of water and observation.

When matters went wrong they did so without relevant checks being in place.

That this has been recognised by the coroner and must be considered by the army for future training will be some small comfort for Edward’s parents, who, as this paper reports, understood their son’s career choice carried risks.

Yet his loss, and two others’ on the same training session, were unnecessary sacrifices of those brave enough to serve us in extreme circumstances.