A soldier who was left paralysed when he was shot in the neck while serving in Afghanistan has been given a new lease of life – thanks to a fundraising drive in memory of Bradford paratrooper Private Martin Bell.

Friends of Pte Bell, who died in a bomb blast while saving the life of an injured colleague, organised a 220-mile Ride of Respect from Bradford to his former army base in Colchester, Essex, to raise thousands of pounds for the Parachute Regiment Afghanistan Trust.

Kris Smith, who organised the ride, said it was “fantastic” that the money had paid for an all-terrain wheelchair for Sergeant Paddy Caldwell, who was injured while serving with 3rd Battalion The Parachute Regiment in Afghanistan in 2006.

Mr Smith, 34, of Eccleshill, Bradford, said: “Martin was a close friend and we wanted to do something to pay our respects to him and show our support for our soldiers.

“It’s fantastic to see Paddy in a new wheelchair and know that our efforts are helping an injured soldier to get on with his life.”

Mr Smith was joined by Kathryn Smith and Ryan Flynn, who grew up with Pte Bell, and Paratrooper Ben Nickels for the ride last year. Another friend, Andrew Tearne, accompanied them in a support vehicle.

The ride raised £2,150, with Bradford-based Yorkshire Building Society giving another £2,000 to the total.

Major General Jonathan Shaw, the Colonel Commandant of the Parachute Regiment, received the money at Colchester’s Merville Barracks, the home of the regiment’s 2nd and 3rd Battalions. He said: “This is a fantastic donation and I congratulate all who took part in the Ride of Respect. fundraising efforts like this show the strength of support between the British public and the military.”

Sgt Caldwell, who sustained spinal injuries after being shot, said: “The chair gives me the freedom to go anywhere and everywhere that I want, which has given me a new lease of life.

“Soldiers are proud guys who make the best of a bad situation if they are injured and don’t like to ask for anything. It is humbling to see the amount of effort that so many people put in to raise money in support of military charities.”