FORMER soldier Harry Jones from Devizes features in an emotional video with model Olivia Cox to promote the work of Wiltshire charity Help for Heroes.

In it Mr Jones, 22, tells the TV presenter and blogger about his struggle to overcome mental health issues and she shares the moment she found out that her former boyfriend Lieutenant Dave Boyce had been killed by a bomb blast in Afghanistan in 2011.

The video, which has attracted more than 50,000 views was released to celebrate the bond between Help for Heroes beneficiaries and its supporters. Miss Cox, 29, who herself served in the Royal Artillery, ran the London Marathon in memory of Lt Boyce and raised £4,500 for the charity.

During the conversation, Mr Jones, who grew up in a military family in Lyneham, tells Olivia of the battle with mental health problems which led to him being medically discharged from the Army. His struggle led him to consider taking his own life until he sought help and was put in touch with Help for Heroes. With the help of the Charity, he has made a good recovery and found a new career.

The video is the fifth in a series which began with a heartwarming film of five-year-old fundraiser Tempy Pattinson and Iraq hero Simon Brown, which made national headlines and attracted more than 70m views.

Miss Cox, from Richmond, London, who served in the Royal Artillery before becoming a blogger and TV presenter, said: “Dave went to Afghanistan and didn’t come back. We lost him at the end of November in 2011 and the marathon was in April the following year.

“It didn’t really occur to me that I could do it until the end of January, so my training was pretty short.

“But I think actually it helped me because I was quite dogged about it. I just did it.”

She says it was an amazing feeling to cross the finish line in memory of 'Boycey’, who came from Bath, who she was in a relationship with for four years until they went on to pursue their respective careers.

Mr Jones, who is now an official ambassador for the charity, said: “Now that I think how far I’ve come and wondered ‘why did I wait so long to pick up the phone?’

“I just hope whatever work we do together ensures that nobody else has to feel like that.”

The film is part of the Facing it Together campaign, which aims to show audiences the tangible differences that Help for Heroes supporters make to the lives of Veterans and their families.

To watch the video go to https://www.facebook.com/HelpforHeroesOfficial/videos/1979364468747586/