THE memory of a Royal Marine from 40 Commando lives on among his colleagues – through a dog.

Marine Alex Mutch has named the rescued pup, which was being abused and teased by locals outside the Marines’ camp in Sangin, Dave – after his mate, David Hart, 23, who was killed on foot patrol last month.

Alex, who exchanged a box of mini flares for the dog, said: “He was terrified and they were teasing and hurting him.

“He’s now like one of us, we take good care of him.

“When I first got the puppy he would bite and hide behind bits of wood, but after just two days he was happy running around and wagging his tail.”

Alex, 32, said he named the dog Dave “as a sign of remembrance and respect” to his fallen mate.

But he now faces a triple problem – moving the animal to a shelter until arrangements can be made to get him out of Afghanistan; raising £2,000 towards the £3,500 of getting him into the UK, including vets’ fees and quarantine costs for six months; getting everything in place before Alex goes on leave in mid-September.

He has contacted Nowzad Dogs, a charity set up by former Marine Pen Farthing, who befriended several stays during a tour of Afghanistan in 2006.

And he has set up a Facebook campaign to raise the necessary funds.

For details of how to help, photos and the latest on Dave the puppy, click on the related links on this story.