A FAMILY tortured by their soldier son's death in Iraq have revealed for the first time graphic details of a leaked post-mortem examination report.

A copy of the report has reached the family of Redcap Paul Long, 24, who died at the hands of Iraqi mobs in June last year.

It reveals he was shot nine times as he and five colleagues tried to fend off a 400-strong mob - and some of the bullets could have been fired while he lay on the ground.

There were no injuries to suggest he was beaten or restrained, and the cause of death was given as firearms wounds to the head, neck and chest.

Sgt Long's mother, Patricia, and brother Byron, of South Shields, South Tyneside, said they were devastated when they read the report, but said it was something they had to do.

The Longs say they hope that both the post-mortem report and a video they were shown of the police station in Majar al-Kabir, near Basra, where the Redcaps were murdered, will help bring some closure to their grief.