The former girlfriend of a British soldier killed fighting ISIS extremists revealed last night he hoped to rekindle their relationship when he returned from Syria. Ex-Royal Marine Konstandinos Erik Scurfield, 25, was hit by mortar fire while fighting alongside Kurdish forces near the Syrian city of Qamishli. Jemma Weston, who  dated Mr Scurfield while they were at college in Nottingham five years ago and remained close friends with him, said he was an 'amazing man' and she would miss him for the rest of her life. She said: 'The last time I spoke to him, just a few months ago, he said, 'I want to come back and I want to come back to you'.' She added: 'I'm so sad that will now never happen.' Scroll down for video . Jemma Weston, ex-girlfriend of former Royal Marine Kostandinos Scurfield, paid tribute to an 'amazing man' after he was killed fighting ISIS. In a last video message (right) Mr Scurfield says he was in Syria  'to help' Keen horse rider Miss Weston, 23, said she believed going to Syria had been his way of 'giving something back'. 'He meant a great deal to me and I am completely devastated by the news,' she said. 'I will miss this amazing man for the rest of my life.' She said that although their romance failed to take off, they had become close again last year shortly before he travelled to Syria, and he had hoped to rekindle their relationship. While she knew he was going abroad, he hadn't told her of his plans or his sympathies with the war-torn country's people, but she said risking his life in this way would have been wholly in character for him. 'Going to Syria was his way of doing an unselfish act,' she said. 'He was doing it to help other people and to make a difference, I think. 'It was his way of giving something back. When we last spoke I asked him if he would be all right and he said 'Yeah, I'll be fine'. He told me 'This is what I've got to do'. Mr Scurfield's family, who live in a former farmhouse in Royston, near Barnsley, paid tribute to him yesterday saying: 'His flame might have burned briefly but it burned brightly with love, courage, conviction and honour and we are very proud of him.' Miss Weston, who met Mr Scurfield at college in Nottingham, said he would have wanted to make a difference . Konstandinos Erik Scurfield (kneeling) pictured with Jordan Matson (second from right), a former US soldier . Mr Scurfield (pictured), one whose fellow-fighters said he 'gave his life combating terrorism for his nation' Last night video footage emerged of the Afghanistan veteran in Syria wearing combat gear, jeans and a black T-shirt. He says: 'My name is Konstandinos Erik Scurfield. I came here on my own free will and I came here to help.' Konstandinos Erik Scurfield was stopped from joining Kurdish forces last October when he was still a serving Royal Marine. He had been training with the US Marines in California when he made email contact with a Kurdish group and arranged to travel to the frontline. But he was stopped while trying to board a flight from Los Angeles to Istanbul, a now well-known jumping off point for Syria, in October and questioned by the American authorities. His one-way ticket rang 'alarm bells', officials said, and his luggage, phone and laptop were examined. The Marine, who was known to be outraged by the atrocities committed by the fanatics of Islamic State, was also questioned by police on arrival in the UK and then returned to his unit, 45 Commando, in Arbroath, Scotland. It is believed he left the Royal Marines just weeks later. It also emerged that he was questioned by police last October on suspicion of going to Syria to fight jihadists. He was preparing to fly from the US to Turkey after contacting a Kurdish group on Facebook. He was returned to his unit in Arbroath, Angus, but decided to leave the Armed Forces before Christmas so he could travel to the war-torn region to fight. Mr Scurfield, known as Kosta to his comrades, is the first Briton to be killed while fighting IS in Syria. The former drama student, who had ambitions to become an actor before joining the Royal Marines aged 21, was described by his comrades as 'Kosta's one-man army' who raised the morale of fighters. John Foxx, who served alongside him in a team of foreign fighters nicknamed the Chappies, said: 'He was hands down one of the greatest human beings I have ever met. From beginning to end he was 100 per cent about helping everyone else.' Last night a fellow Royal Marine said: 'He was very angry about the Middle East and the Islamic State. 'As a unit we had been on standby several times but nothing happened and he was frustrated that the UK was standing back. He was a very focused and good Marine, but the Islamic State was his priority.' Mr Scurfield decided to quit the Army to join the Kurdish peshmerga after befriending fighters in the region on Facebook. Fellow fighters in Mr Scurfield's 'Lions of Rojava' group have posted tributes to him online today . Mr Scurfield was described by family friends as 'strong-willed', with a 'deep sense of duty and honour' He left his base in November, telling his parents, both 49, and his three siblings that he was going to provide 'medical and humanitarian support' as an expert in battlefield medicine. Mr Foxx added: 'He would always volunteer to be on the ambush team, spend the night on the [defence fortification] or go on any assault.' Jordan Matson, a former US soldier also fighting with the Kurds, described Mr Scurfield as a 'disciplined warrior'. He added: 'Kosta wanted nothing more than to bring the fight to the enemy.' In recent weeks, Mr Scurfield's father, archaeologist Christopher Scurfield, and his mother Vasiliki – a writer and teacher – became increasingly concerned and contacted their MP for help. Dan Jarvis, Labour MP for Barnsley Central, said: 'They came to me a few weeks ago very worried for their son's safety and tragically it appears their worst fears have been realised.' Mark Campbell, a pro-Kurdish rights campaigner who broke the news to the family, said: 'It was very, very emotional, [his mother] was literally in tears for the whole conversation.' He said the Peshmerga wanted to bury Mr Scurfield as 'one of their comrades in arms, as a hero'. Konstandinos Erik Scurfield died while fighting with the Kurdistan People's Protection Units (YPG) in the Al-Hasakah province on Monday . It is believed that more than 100 western fighter have joined the Kurds in Syria in the fight against ISIS. Pictured are ISIS militants parading through the streets of Raqqa . Schoolfriends of Konstandinos Erik Scurfield say they are mourning a 'real character' and remembering his 'cheeky smile'. Classmates from Royston High School, where he studied until 2006, said they are hoping to organise a reunion event in his memory. Emma Hyman, 24, said his school friends have found it difficult to match the fun-loving actor who was loved by everyone in his year with the pictures they have seen of him over the last couple days in military poses wearing combat fatigues. School friends of Mr Scurfield say he was always popular in his youth and wasn't one to get into fights . Miss Hyman said: 'He was such a people-person and when he went into the forces it was a big surprise. He wasn't a fighter. 'He didn't get into any fights at school or anything like that. You put people in groups - certain things they might do with their lives and I would never have had him down as becoming a soldier.' She said he also had long hair at school, where he was an extremely popular student and was also very clever - in the top sets for everything. She said he came to Royston High, which no longer exists, in his early teens from Nottingham and was immediately noticeable because he did not have a Barnsley accent and was 'really well-spoken, very polite and very respectful'. She said: 'Everybody loved him because he was a real character. He was one of those people who you couldn't find anything negative at all to say about him. He was friendly and funny and really laid back. He had such a cheeky smile. Miss Hyman added: 'We're trying to organise something so we can all get together and remember him. It's at the early stages at the moment. It's a shame we are going to all come together in these circumstances.'
Konstandinos Erik Scurfield was killed fighting Islamic State on Monday . Former Royal Marine is first UK national to be killed battling ISIS in Syria . Family said yesterday: 'His flame burned briefly but it burned brightly'
Ex-girlfriend says he went to Middle East to 'give something back'
Archaeologists' son joined elite Navy regiment after studying drama . Friends say he had 'deep sense of the duty' and  was 'angry' about ISIS .