A Scots soldier has been left with a severe brain injury after his patrol vehicle overturned in Afghanistan.

1SCOTS rifleman Dean Stenhouse suffered a shattered pelvis, dislocated hip and broken wrist in the incident while he was on duty in Kabul.

The 25-year-old from Tarbolton in South Ayrshire, has been flown home for treatment in the UK.

"He's also lost a finger and up until now, has had no movement in his body at all," said his sister Kirsty Pope, 37, who has been by his bedside.

"All we've been told by the army is that it was a vehicle incident, a Foxhound vehicle which overturned, but we don't know why or how this has happened."

Foxhound protected patrol vehicles have a top speed of 70mph and are designed to offer protection against improvised explosive devices.

Rfn Stenhouse is now undergoing extensive treatment at the Fisher House military hospital in Birmingham.

He has missed the birth of his first daughter, Aela, who is now nearly four weeks old.

Ms Pope said: "She has been taken down there so he can see her. He can't move or communicate at all but it feels as though he's watching her when we bring her into the room."

Doctors have told the soldier's family it is now a waiting game to see how extensive his brain injuries are and have said they cannot be sure of the level of long term damage he has sustained.

"He was a fit young man and that gives us hope," said Ms Pope.

"He's conscious and awake, he just can't communicate, though this week he made a small movement with his arm for the first time."

More than 100 soldiers from 1SCOTS were deployed on a five-month tour to Kabul in August this year and are due to return in December.

They are providing support and force protection measures for Nato personnel and mentor Afghan security institutions.

Ms Pope added: "We just want to thank everyone for their kind messages of support and encourage all Dean's friends to please come and visit him - the more familiar faces he sees, the better.

"We know it will take time for him to heal and it's just a waiting game, but please keep in contact and help support him to get through this."

A spokesman from the MoD said: "We can confirm a soldier has been injured in a vehicle incident in Afghanistan.

"He has since been flown back to the UK for treatment and his injuries are believed to be serious but not life threatening."