A Bradford serviceman arrived home safely from Afghanistan on the day officials revealed that five of his comrades had been killed by a rogue Afghan policeman.

Corporal James Capstick, 23, of Allerton, had served a three-and-a-half month tour of Afghanistan with the Royal Military Police based at Camp Bastion, in the south of the country.

Cpl Capstick revealed that morale among his colleagues remained high despite the number of deaths on service this year rising to 93, making 2009 the bloodiest year for the Armed Forces since the Falklands War.

In the latest incident, five British soldiers, three from the Grenadier Guards and two from the Royal Military Police, died in the Nad-e’Ali district of Helmand Province when a rogue Afghan policeman turned on them and started firing inside a military compound.

Cpl Capstick said he had not been told the names of the casualties, but said it was worrying news considering he had friends serving in Afghanistan He said: “I haven’t been told who they are, but I know some of the guys out there. It’s a shame for anyone to die out there, but when it could be one of your mates, it’s worrying.”

Cpl Capstick was called to Afghanistan earlier than expected due to the high toll of deaths and injuries among British forces.

He said: “It went fine. I was at Bastion. The morale of the guys is really good. We all stuck together and cracked on with the job. I went out as a replacement for three and a half months. It was long hours and very tiring. We have lost two of our guys in the last six months – people I worked with.”

As Cpl Capstick relaxes at home with his mother Heather, 45, and father Jimmy, 53, he can only wonder when he may be asked to return to Afghanistan.

He said: “It’s a case of wait and see.

“We have not been given a set time for when we will be deployed again, but it’ll happen at some stage because Afghanistan isn’t going away.”

Prime Minister Gordon Brown paid tribute to the soldiers who died on Tuesday, describing their deaths as a “terrible loss”.

“My thoughts, condolences and sympathies go to their families, loved ones and colleagues. I know that the whole country too will mourn their loss,” he said.

A UK military spokesman said: “Initial reports suggest that it was a member of the Afghan National Police who fired without warning.

“The incident happened at a checkpoint and he fired before anyone could respond.

“It’s our understanding that one individual Afghan National Policeman, possibly in conjunction with another, went rogue.

“His motives and whereabouts are unknown at this time.”