ONE of two servicemen who died in mid-Wales during the selection process for the Territorial Army's section of the SAS has been named by the Ministry of Defence (MoD).

Lance Corporal Craig Roberts died during a military exercise in the Brecon Beacons on Saturday when temperatures soared to 29.5C (85.1F).

A second soldier, who has not yet been named, also lost his life, while a third remains in hospital.

In a statement, the MoD said: "It is with great sadness that the Ministry of Defence can confirm the death of L/Cpl Craig Roberts and another Army reserve soldier during a training exercise in the Brecon Beacons at the weekend.

"Our thoughts are with their families and friends at this difficult time.

"The families of the soldiers have requested that their privacy is respected at this difficult time.’’

It is not expected that the MoD will name the second soldier. Police and the MoD are investigating the deaths of the men, who were part of a group training in Wales's rugged Brecon Beacons on Saturday.

Sources have said the men were at the start of a period of assessment in the selection process for the Territorial Army's section of the SAS, after completing a period of training and preparation.

The deaths have led to question marks over the way rigorous SAS training is carried out, amid speculation the extreme temperatures caused the men's death, but an MoD spokesman earlier said there are no plans to change "routine exercises’’ in light of the incident.

Members of all four of South Wales's mountain rescue teams were called out to assist when the two servicemen died.

Thirty members of Central Beacons, Brecon, Western Beacons and Abergavenny-based Longtown Mountain Rescue Teams joined the operation near Pen y Fan, the highest mountain in South Wales.

Phil Speck, who was walking in the Brecon Beacons on Saturday, told the BBC he saw soldiers on exercise, but nothing to suggest the tragedy that would later happen.

Mr Speck, whose own walking party stopped at 2.30pm because of the heat, said they saw soldiers throughout the time he was walking from 10.30am until then.

"They did look very hot, they were tired in the afternoon, but it did kind of seem like you would normally see the soldiers when you're walking up there,’’ he said.

He said he saw a few soldiers resting at some points, and noticed one in particular who was sitting down, but added: "I think maybe if we had walked past another walker who was on their own, you might have gone 'Is everything OK? Do you need some extra water?'

"They looked very hot and sweaty but when you see the soldiers you do walking in the Brecon Beacons, you see them all the time, you kind of get used to the fact they can cope with those conditions.’’