A CHARD soldier has described the terrifying moment a Taliban grenade shot within a yard of his post during a firefight in Afghani-stan.

Pte Daniel Stone, 19, who went to Holyrood Community School, is back with his family in the town after a testing four-and-a-half months in the Helmand province of Afghan-istan.

This week, he told the News how Army life there was not just a case of dodging bullets but also of fending off smaller invaders intent on gobbling up precious rations.

Pte Stone spent three months in the southern base of Sangin.

He said: "I was on guard in the Af-ghanistan National Police house when the Taliban started firing at us.

"A rocket-propelled grenade went about 3ft in front of where we were and we had bullets flying over our heads from small arms fire as well.

"It was during a ceasefire but it was a show of force - a rogue Taliban commander wanted to show us what he had.

"The Taliban has a whole mixture of weapons - some Second World War, some Russian and some they've made themselves."

The most severe encounter lasted over two hours and broke out as two Chinook helicopters delivered supplies to the camp.

"We were unloading mail and were stood in open ground when the Taliban started firing towards us.

"There were boxes of ammunition ready to put into the helicopter and we had a 300-metre sprint to find some hard cover with rounds landing around our feet.

"I've never been so scared in my life," said Pte Stone.

As the British forces responded to the rocket attack, Pte Stone and a fellow soldier were on the radio listening to commands when two rounds thudded into the wall above their heads.

Away from the heat of battle, the fight to win hearts and minds continues. Pte Stone said that while on patrol, the extent of the country's poverty is all too evident.

"You look round and you see little kids who are really skinny and they scratch a living out of nothing. There's no sewers and there's lots of disease.

"We gave them sweets, pens and notebooks - it helps build up the re-lationship between us and the civilians, and the Taliban don't like it," he said.

Back in Chard, Pte Stone said it is good to have food in the cupboard and not have to fend off rats, mice, mongooses and feral cats from precious rations and gifts sent from home.

"I'm really glad to be home - you can't really explain what it's like out there - you've got to be there to un-derstand it."