Thursday March 2, 2006

The mother of a British sergeant killed in Iraq last October delivered an impassioned letter to Tony Blair yesterday calling for the removal of British troops from an occupation which "has not achieved anything positive".

Pauline Hickey, mother of Sergeant Christian Hickey, 29, of the 1st Battalion, the Coldstream Guards, who died while on foot patrol in Basra, criticised the lack of armoured Land Rovers for her son's regiment, pointing out that Cherie Blair travels in a government-provided bulletproof vehicle. She wrote: "I would question as to whom is at most risk, the British troops in a war zone or your wife driving round London."

As well as her own letter, Mrs Hickey was among parents who have lost family members in Iraq who delivered a joint letter to 10 Downing Street. They called Mr Blair a "coward" for his refusal to meet them. He was at the House of Commons at the pre-arranged time for the delivery of their letters. The protest came as two soldiers who died while on patrol in Iraq on Tuesday were named yesterday as Private Lee Ellis, 23, and Captain Richard Holmes, 28, both of the Second Battalion, the Parachute Regiment.

The joint letter, signed by the families of 18 servicemen killed in Iraq who are members of the Military Families Against the War group, said: "Some of us believed in the war at the outset; others not. All of us now, though, believe it was based on a series of lies - your lies. A meeting might give you pause for thought and to reconsider." Rose Gentle, whose son Gordon, 19, of the Royal Highland Fusiliers died in June 2004, revealed that she received a personally signed letter from Mr Blair two weeks ago which said: "I am afraid a meeting with you will not be possible."