THE mother of a soldier who was murdered by a mob during the Iraq War has expressed her anger at Tony Blair for his role in starting the conflict.

Sandra Hyde, of Northallerton, said the former prime minister was personally responsible for the death of her son, Ben, who was among six Redcap military policemen killed in June 2003 at a police station in the town of Majar al Kabir.

Mrs Hyde, who has never publicly voiced her views on the incident before, said: “I am not bothered about what comes out with the Chilcott Report. I only know Tony Blair killed my only child.

“If Tony Blair was stood in front of me I would happily pull the trigger.”

The Northern Echo:

At the time they were killed, Lance Corporal Hyde, 23, and his comrades, who included Corporal Simon Miller, 21, from Washington, Wearside, and Corporal Paul Long, 24, of South Tyneside, should have been equipped with a satellite phone and at least 150 rounds of ammunition each.

However, they had no phone and only 50 rounds each - none of which they fired.

A month after his death the North Yorkshire town came to a standstill as hundreds of people lined the streets to watch members of the Royal Military Police marked the fall of their comrade.

Mrs Hyde made the comments as her husband, John, attended the Queen Elizabeth ll Centre in London, to hear the findings of the UK's inquiry into the Iraq War.

The Northern Echo:
Ben Hyde was murdered by mob while serving in the Iraq War

Mr Hyde has previously accused the Army of failing in its a duty of care to the soldiers, who had been prepared to sacrifice their lives in the service of their country.

The Iraq Inquiry has focused on meetings between President Bush and Tony Blair, about Iraq and what promises were given by the prime minister about British support in the event of military action.

Mrs Hyde said 13 years on from the incident, it remained clear the then US President George Bush was also to blame for the conflict.

She said: “Ben died doing what he wanted to do. However, it was all because of 9/11 – George Bush was going to go into Iraq no matter what.”