A Royal Marine whose throat was ripped open by a roadside bomb survived after a quick-thinking comrade knelt on his neck to stop the bleeding.

Corporal Paul Vice's throat was torn open by razor-sharp flying shrapnel and his arms and legs were slashed.

His injuries were so extensive his heart stopped.

He was only saved by his colleague's prompt actions and emergency first aid.

The 28-year-old, from Bristol, had already been injured once before on duty and has served in Afghanistan four times and twice in Iraq.

He was among six men hit by the Improvised Explosive Device (IED) two-weeks-ago.

He was taken to Camp Bastion, in Helmand Province, for emergency surgery.

He was then flown to Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham where he underwent another two operations involving 159 staples in his body and 46 in his neck.

He also had to have the vein in his neck replaced and is awaiting further treatment.

The father-of-four, is now on the slow road to recovery, his speech is slurred and he is unable to move his left arm or leg, but he is now in a stable condition.

His father Paul Vice, 54, said: "We got the call from his wife Tessa and we really thought he'd be dead when we got there. He was in a critical but stable condition but you just fear the worst.

"He had a few operations and is making a recovery but it is very slow.

"He is a bit deaf from the blast and shrapnel was embedded in his face and body.

"We hope that his speech and movement will come back but this won't stop him.

"He flat-lined so his brain was starved of oxygen for a while.

"He's been injured before, his arm was totally messed up but it doesn't stop him. As soon as he's fit he'll be out there again. There's no question about it."

Cpl Vice, who is a sniper and troop commander, has been with Plymouth-based 42 Commando, for ten years.

He had recently returned to Afghanistan after spending two weeks with his family.