AN INQUEST into the death of a solider who was shot during a night-time live firing exercise will take place next week.

Private Conor McPherson (24) from The Black Watch, 3rd Battalion, the Royal Regiment of Scotland, died after suffering a head wound at the Otterburn Training Area on August 22, 2016.

People on the range gave him CPR and called the emergency services but he was pronounced dead at the scene by a paramedic.

A Ministry of Defence service inquiry into the death was carried out by the Defence Safety Authority.

Eight “contributory factors” that made the accident more likely to happen that night were identified in a report published in 2017, including a lack of effective supervision of the soldier who fired the shot.

The investigating panel said it is highly likely a solder, named only as “firer 2” - a private who had been in the military for five and a half years - misidentified Pte McPherson as a target and fired the fatal round. This was identified as the “causal factor” in the death.

The inquest into the death of Pte McPherson, who was from Paisley, will begin on Monday, November 14 at County Hall in Morpeth.

It has been listed for approximately seven days.