A Scots soldier has died during a training exercise on the hottest day of the year.

Josh Hoole, who served with The Rifles regiment, died in the Brecon area of Wales on Tuesday.

The 26-year-old infantry soldier, from Ecclefechan near Lockerbie in Dumfries and Galloway, is understood to have got into difficulty while on the training.

His grandfather, John Craig, said: "He was a beautiful grandson.

"He was a dedicated soldier. He always wanted to be top dog. He was a superfit boy, he kept very fit."

His step-mother Carol Jeffreys posted on Facebook: "Rest easy soldier. My beautiful stepson. Can't believe it. Will always love you. So very proud of you. Thoughts with your family and fiancee. RIP Josh x"

Defence Minister Mike Penning said: "It is with great sadness that I can confirm that an infantry soldier has died in Brecon while conducting pre-course training before attending the Platoon Sergeants' Battle Course.

"The safety of our personnel is our absolute priority and, while deaths in training are rare, any death is a tragedy. As well as a police investigation, a service inquiry will take place. My thoughts and prayers are with the soldier's family, friends, and colleagues at this difficult time."

The soldier was taking part in a basic combat fitness test as part of pre-training for the Platoon Sergeants' Battle Course in Wales.

He was completing an eight mile march wearing boots, carrying equipment and a rifle weighing an estimated 25kg in total.

The march started at 7am on tarmacked roads around the area, and on return to his training base, Cpl Hoole collapsed and an ambulance was called at around 9am.

Following Tuesday's death, an Army spokeswoman said: "We can confirm that a soldier from ITC Catterick died on 19 July while conducting pre-course training for the Platoon Sergeants' Battle Course in Brecon."

Temperatures on Tuesday peaked at just above 30C in Brecon, the Met Office said.