The father of a Reading man who was killed fighting so-called Islamic State, has said he had no idea the 22-year-old was in Syria

Dean Carl Evans was killed by a rocket propelled grenade in July as he fought alongside Kurdish militant group YPG in the northern city of Manbij.

Speaking anonymously to ITV News, Dean’s father, John, who described him as “very, very intelligent”, said he would have tried to stop his son if he knew.

Mr Evans said: “I had no idea whatsoever until I was informed of his death... I don’t know how he got involved with them [Kurdish militia]. It still hasn’t sunk in properly yet.

“To me, it’s a never-ending war. Take a life, give a life, take a life, give a life.”

Mr Evans, who lives in Wallingford, Oxfordshire, said he had not spoken to his son for 18 months after he became distant.

He revealed that he thought his son was a farmer working in Wiltshire, and did not find out he had died until late July when he was called by the Foreign Office two days after Dean’s death.

Mr Evans revealed how Dean had always wanted to serve in the military, but was not allowed to join because he had asthma. He described his son as “army barmy” from a young age, who was “forever wearing combat trousers”.

Mr Evans, who did not show his face during the ITN interview, said: “Everything he wanted for Christmas was military orientated. [He would ask] ‘Can you buy me some pretend guns?’ “As he got older he joined the Army Cadets and stated that he wanted to join the Army and military, but unfortunately he failed his medical because of asthma.

“I wanted him to join the military because he wanted to do what I’d done. He went to join and he was very, very intelligent – very, very bright.

“He would’ve made a good officer at Sandhurst. He failed because of his asthma. I was more than happy for him to join the military.

“I wanted him not to join the infantry, but to join as a trade like a chef or a medic or dental so he has that to go in to when he leaves, he’ll have a trade to go into on Civilian Street.

“He always wanted to do good for other people. That’s when obviously he went off and…[joined the YPG]. I don’t know how [he got involved with the YPG].”

Mr Evans added that there would have been no stopping his son from fighting alongside the Kurds in Syria.

He said: “Obviously he was determined that he wanted to do something in the military lines.

“I personally feel that he thought that would be the closest thing to the military he could get to because he wouldn’t require a medical or anything like that.”

Mr Evans admitted that he does not know where his son’s body is located and said it would not be repatriated as Dean wanted to be buried with his Kurdish “brothers and sisters” rather than in the UK.

And he advised other parents to talk their children out of going to fight in Syria.

He said: “I’d advise them to give their son as much advice not to go out there. It’s too pointless, too dangerous.

“You might feel you’re doing good but at the end of the day you’re not achieving anything.”