A man 'who was at ease with folk'

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By Fiona Trott BBC News, Yardley Wood Mark Quinsey was described as a man who was at ease with people

For two hours, the only traffic allowed in this part of Birmingham's Yardley Wood was Mark Quinsey's funeral cortege.

Hundreds lined the streets where the soldier - one of two killed by the Real IRA in Northern Ireland - once lived and at least 100 more walked behind his coffin.

Shopkeepers stopped work and came out to watch. Even local schoolchildren were given the afternoon off so that they could pay their respects when the procession passed their home.

Seven soldiers from the 38 Engineer Regiment marched alongside their murdered comrade.

Like Mark, they should have been in Afghanistan this week. They were prepared for the dangers of deployment and that's why they're still struggling to come to terms with what's happened.

Mark Quinsey wasn't on tour when he was shot dead earlier this month, instead he was at his own barracks in Antrim, Northern Ireland - off duty and unarmed.

He's had a good send off and that's what we all wanted Sapper Sean Robinson

At the Immanuel Church in Highters Heath, war veterans formed a guard of honour and wore yellow ribbons alongside their medals as a sign of remembrance for the 23-year-old sapper.

Inside, the Reverend Colin Butler told the congregation: "He was a man who was at ease with folk; his Brummie banter was used in giving advice, in talking and mixing with his friends and those who he was making his friend."

That's what people at the service said they wanted to hear. It wasn't about the Northern Ireland peace process, or about the aims and objectives of the people who killed him. It was about the local lad from Birmingham, who was loved and respected here.

Round of applause

Sapper Sean Robinson, from 23 Engineer Regiment, was one of Mark's neighbours who came out onto the street.

"It's nice to see civilians taking part," he said. "Usually they don't like the job we're doing so it's nice to see them coming out and showing their respect. He's had a good send off and that's what we all wanted."

Sapper Quinsey was killed as he took delivery of a pizza at his barracks

And that's exactly what he had. When his coffin was carried out of the church, there was a round of applause.

His sister Jaime clutched a photograph of him and talked about how proud she was of "the perfect soldier" who didn't get the chance to fulfil his ambitions.

"He didn't even get to go to Afghanistan to do his duty," she said. "I can just see him looking down now, being gutted that he didn't get the chance to go."

She's received thousands of messages of support from people across the world because her brother and fellow soldier Patrick Azimkar were the first soldiers to be murdered in Northern Ireland for 12 years.

People here in Birmingham have called it "a waste of a life" and it was too short a life.

Mark Quinsey was just 12 years old at the time of the Good Friday Agreement.