Brit chef killed fighting ISIS served roasts for family firm just a week before jetting off to Syria
Pals referred to Ryan Lock as 'a real life James Bond' after smuggling himself into Syria to fight extremists
A BRIT aged 20 who was killed battling ISIS in Syria worked for his dad’s hog roast firm — and catered at a wedding just days before jetting to the frontline.
Pals of Ryan Lock, who joined the fight against the jihad cult after pretending he was going on holiday, described him as a “real-life James Bond”.
James Parkin, 20, who studied biology with him at college, said: “He was always training in the gym or running — he wanted to be in the military. That was his dream.
“He wanted to see some form of action. He was like a real-life James Bond. All the girls loved him.”
Last night Ryan was being hailed by his fellow fighters in the war on ISIS in Syria as one of their “bravest sons”.
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He was shot in the head as they battled to recapture the fanatics’ stronghold of Raqqa.
Mum Catherine was too distraught to speak yesterday.
Dad Jon, 39, who runs a firm called Hog Squad in Chichester, West Sussex, hailed him as “a caring and loving boy who would do anything to help anyone”.
He added: “He had a heart of gold.”
Ryan’s last catering job before he left the UK in the summer was serving up roasts at a posh Hampshire wedding.
The young chef told his family he was off to Turkey on holiday. They later discovered he had signed up with the Kurdish YPG militia.
The force is itself considered a terror group by Turkey — which almost killed Ryan in a bombing raid a month ago.
A Facebook photo showed his facial injuries.
He wrote: “We were taking a small village when we got hit by Turkish jets in the night.
“Two of my friends, Anton and Michael, were killed among many others.”
Despite almost losing his own life, Ryan vowed: “I’m staying to finish out my six months.”
His death was broken to his family in a letter from the YPG that paid glowing tribute to him.
It read: “On the dark hours of 21 December 2016, we lost our brave companion Ryan and four other fighters in Jaeber village.
“He crossed continents for the destiny of our people and humanity.”
Ryan was a former pupil at Warblington School, where headmistress Julia Vincent said: “He was well-liked.
“Our thoughts go out to his friends and family.”
Ryan’s pal James said: “I don’t know how he got involved with people in Syria, he was a lovely, normal guy.