The grieving grandmother of former Colchester-based soldier Derek Osbourne who was kicked to death outside an Austrian nightclub today told of his family's shock at his death.

Mabel Radcliffe said she was still trying to take in the horrific news of his death after he was attacked by a mob outside an Innsbruck nightclub in Austria.

He was kicked repeatedly in the head and died later in hospital on Sunday.

He was there as part of the Army's bobsleigh team and he and a team mate were attacked by a group of up to ten people outside the club.

Corporal Osbourne married Amanda Easby, who lived in Lucerne Road, Elmstead Market, at Colchester's Garrison Church in November, 1991.

He was with the King's Own Royal Border Regiment, which was based in Colchester in the late 1980s.

The regiment is now based in Catterick in Yorkshire.

Amanda was 22 and Derek was 21 when they married. They have a six-month-old son Scott.

Mrs Radcliffe, who lives in Cpl Osbourne's home town of Ulverston in Cumbria, said the family is reeling from the shocking news. "They are devastated at the moment. He was a lovely man."

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