WORRIED parents of a Worcestershire Commando are waiting to hear if their son was among the eight British troops killed when when a Sea Knight helicopter crashed in Kuwait today.

Martin Kerslake is serving in the Gulf with 3 Commando Brigade, which lost eight Marines in the incident.

His parents Mike and Jean, of Willersea Road, Claines, are fearing the worst.

"We're very worried, but most people expect the worst and are relieved when it isn't them," said Mr Kerslake.

"We heard from him by telephone last Tuesday. Then we got a letter over the weekend which he had written before he spoke to us."

The 26-year-old former Bishop Perowne CE High School pupil passed out into the Royal Marines in July after completing the gruelling 40-week training course.

He had studied at Worcester Sixth Form College and played professional rugby before deciding to try for a green beret.

"We're very proud of him. We're fully behind him and he's had the best training in the world," said Mr Kerslake, who was expecting to wait 24 hours to hear about his son.

The crash, in which the American crew of four also died, happened as the twin-rotor helicopter took part in operations on the Al Faw peninsula.

Lt Col Ben Curry, a Royal Marines spokesman in Kuwait, said the deployment was part of a mission by allied troops to capture an oil pumping station and pipeline.

"At 7pm GMT last night, combat units from 3 Commando Brigade Royal Marines in conjunction with Naval Special Warfare teams from the United States Navy launched a heliborne assault in the Al Faw peninsula in southern Iraq," he said.

"The aim was to capture intact an oil pumping station and pipeline valve to prevent their destruction by Iraqi forces. The mission has been successful. All objectives have been captured intact. Iraqi resistance has been light and there have been enemy casualties and prisoners.

"The combat units on the peninsula are continuing to secure the area and more combat units from the 3 Commando Brigade are deploying.

"Regrettably, during the deployment phase, a US helicopter crashed. There were eight British servicemen from 3 Commando Brigade and four US air crew on board. None survived."

Lt Col Curry said there was no evidence that the helicopter crashed due to enemy fire.