IRAQ war hero Johnson Beharry - winner of Britain’s highest honour for bravery - paid a visit to Stourbridge Royal British Legion.

The selfless soldier, the British Army’s first recipient of the Victoria Cross in more than 20 years, stopped off at the legion’s Enville Street HQ on December 18 to present a replica set of his medals to the club.

He was invited to the town to highlight the plight of Britain’s wounded soldiers and to receive a £10,000 donation for Help For Heroes.

Talking exclusively to the News, he said: “To see what the people are doing is amazing. The troops really need as much support as they can get - and I appreciate everything they are doing for us.”

The modest military man, who risked his own life - putting a serious head injury aside - to save comrades while twice coming under fire in Al-Amarah in 2004, also paid tribute to Stourbridge’s own old soldiers and late VC winners L/Cpl Thomas Bryan and 2nd Lieut Edward Baxter.

He said: “It’s because of men like that that I have had the opportunity to win the Victoria Cross today and that we have a Britain today.”

Brian Shepherd, Stourbridge Royal British Legion chairman, said: “It’s tremendously important to have someone like Johnson Beharry promoting the legion.”

After chatting to ex-servicemen and signing copies of his book Barefoot Soldier - 33-year-old Beharry and his brother Jeffrey, from the Royal Logistics Core, later picked up a cheque for £10,000 for Help For Heroes.

The money was donated by visitors to Heaven gentlemen’s club in the town’s Lower High Street - owned by former SAS soldier Alastair Rose; and it will go to help servicemen and women wounded in current conflicts.

Mr Rose said: “To have a Victoria Cross winner come to Stourbridge is absolutely wonderful - and it helps boost the profile of charities such as Help for Heroes and the British Legion.”

It was the second time Granada-born L/Cpl Beharry - of the 1st Battalion Princess of Wales’ Royal Regiment - had visited the town to highlight the plight of Britain’s wounded soldiers.

He and fellow seriously injured comrades were welcomed to a red-carpet charity bash at Heaven back in September, attended by a host of VIPs including the Mayor of Dudley.

That visit saw £1,500 donated to Help For Heroes, Combat Stress and the Royal Marines Benevolent Fund.