A MOTHER has won a legal battle to prove her fiance fathered her child before being killed in Afghanistan.

Emma Hickman, aged 19, was not able to register her daughter Lexie-Mai or claim compensation because she was not married to Daniel Wade.

The Latchford soldier was killed when a bomb exploded in March.

On Monday the MoD released Pte Wade’s DNA, proving he was the father.

It frees Miss Hickman to name him on the birth certificate and claim compensation from the Ministry of Defence.

She said: ““It has never ever been about the money.

“It is about Lexie-Mai’s right to know who her father is. Dan was so looking forward to being a daddy.

“He used to carry her scan picture with him under his body armour when he went out on patrol. He helped me choose her name and was so proud he was going to be a father.”

Jennifer Roulston is a family law expert at QualitySolicitors Forshaws Davies Ridgway in Warrington and has been fighting the case.

She said: “We are very grateful for Mr Cameron and Mr Mowat’s support in rectifying this dreadful situation.

“It is appalling that Emma’s trauma at losing her fiancé just before the birth of her daughter should be compounded by this legal wrangle to establish her fiance’s paternity.

“We are delighted Daniel’s family has agreed to release the DNA sample and Daniel’s paternity has at last been established. Emma is so relieved she can finally enter his name on her daughter’s birth certificate.”

Warrington South MP David Mowat, who took up the case in the House of Commons with Prime Minister David Cameron, said it was the ‘best result’.

In a debate in Parliament last night, he called on the MoD to routinely hold DNA tests for soldiers in service. This currently happens in France and the US.

Defence minister Mark Francois told him: “The case in question has been a long journey but I believe we are nearly there.

“It is current MoD policy to offer all military, deployable MoD civilians and other entitled personnel the opportunity to provide reference samples suitable for DNA analysis.

“This is entirely on a voluntary basis and it is to enable identification post-mortem should that be required. This policy is under review. I expect this to be complete by the spring.”