Brit soldier who survived Taliban siege in Afghanistan offers £10,000 worth of prizes to raise cash for Help For Heroes

A SOLDIER who survived a Taliban siege in Afghanistan is offering thousands of pounds worth of flights, designer handbags and signed football shirts to raise cash for Help For Heroes.

Former Private Russell Webb, 36, was part of a band of brothers surrounded by hundreds of Taliban fighters for weeks in 2008.

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Former soldier Russell Webb, 36, with thousands of pounds worth of prizes ahead of Saturday’s Help 4 Heroes fund-raising raffle[/caption]

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Private Webb as a soldier in 2008[/caption]

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Russell previously appeared in The Sun when SAS-legend Andy McNab reached his outpost in Afghanistan[/caption]

He appeared in The Sun when SAS-legend Andy McNab reached his outpost and filed a dispatch on the Siege of Roshan Tower.

Webb was one of 30 soldiers from the Princess of Wales Royal Regiment defending a patch of high-ground from non-stop insurgent attacks.

They went weeks without resupplies as helicopters couldn’t reach them and they had to rely on a convoy of Warrior armoured fighting vehicles to punch through the Taliban lines.

The dad-of-two is holding a charity raffle on Saturday.

He decided to give something back after seeing how military charities helped veterans adjust to civilian life.

Russell said: “When I left the military I went through a really tough patch, and I came very close to needing these charities.

“I was lucky I could lean on family and friends, but I have seen the work they have done with my friends.

“I have also seen my ex-Army colleagues do amazing things to help these charities and I wanted to do my bit.”

He has been bowled over by the response to his appeal for prizes.

He added: “It’s been absolutely amazing. I decided to hold a charity raffle and I wrote to everyone I could think of for prizes.

“So many people have said yes. I think we’ve got at least £10,000 worth of prizes.

“We’ve got signed football shirts, from Chelsea, Liverpool, Nottingham Forest, Millwall, Southampton, Leicester and Leeds.

“We’ve got a rubgy shirt from the Harlequins.

“We’ve got two Formula 1 tracksuits from McLaren, a Mulberry handbag and free open return tickets from Jet2 to anywhere that they fly to.”

Lego donated a set of its Star Wars Millennium Falcon worth £150 and clothing brand Shackleton donated an outdoor jacket worth £500.

Andy McNab, best-selling author of Bravo Two Zero, hailed Russell’s work as “vital”.

He said: “Fundraisers like this are so important.

“Charities like Help 4 Heroes are still there, supporting people who need support.

“As the years go on we tend to forget, but the people who suffer physical or mental damage still need soldiers, veterans, friends, family and most importantly the wider community to get behind these sorts of events.”

John Carpenter, a Help for Heroes Area fundraising manager, said: “We’re always excited to see veterans put on fundraising events that support our work to provide life changing help for everyone in the Armed Forces Community.

“We’re wishing Russell all the best for this upcoming charity raffle and can’t wait to see the people of Chertsey turn out in force to take part.”

The raffle is taking place at The Crown hotel in Chertsey, Surrey, from 6pm on Saturday.

Prizes are due to be presented by local beauty queen Steffi Moore.