A TOP-LEVEL investigation has been launched after an Army chef fell to his death from a look-out tower during a tour of duty in Bosnia.

The special investigation branch of the military police is trying to discover how 35-year-old Paul John McManus died.

He was a member of the Royal Logistics Corps, which is on attachment with the 1st Battalion The Royal Highland Fusiliers. The soldiers are based at Gornji Vakuf in Bosnia.

The Blackburn, Hyndburn and Ribble Valley coroner's office has been informed and an inquest was due to open in Accrington today.

His funeral will take place at Pleasington, Blackburn, on Wednesday at 1pm.

His devastated parents, Mary and George McManus, of Pickering Fold, Lower Darwen, have declined a full military presence, but army friends are expected to attend. He is the brother of Keith and Andrew and the late Colin and David.

The family was today too upset to talk about the tragedy, which happened on September 4.

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