MPH 2008

Your last chance to get tickets to Top Gear Live

Navigation - link to other main sections from here

Skip Navigation

From The Times
December 15, 2006

Hoon to be quizzed on body armour shortage

Michael Evans
Geoff Hoon has been called to give evidence at the inquest into the death of a tank commander who died of chest wounds after being ordered to hand his body armour to another soldier because there was a shortage of armour that would have saved his life.

The former defence secretary will be asked to explain why he delayed a decision to order more armour before the start of the Iraq war in 2003.

Sergeant Steven Roberts, 33, of the 2nd Royal Tank Regiment, died in friendly fire four days after the invasion.

Oxford Coroner’s Court was told during the inquest that Mr Hoon took eight weeks to authorise the ordering of extra body armour for soldiers to be sent to Iraq. Sufficient stocks were supplied a week after Sergeant Roberts had died. The Ministry of Defence confirmed last night that Mr Hoon, or an official representing him, was expected to attend the inquest.

James Rowley, QC, acting for Samantha Roberts, Sergeant Roberts’s widow, said that questions raised about the delay in ordering the armour had not been answered. “There is an obvious person to ask,” he told Andrew Walker, the Oxfordshire assistant deputy coroner. Mr Walker replied: “There is always the possibility of a summons.”

Also in UK News

Also in News

Comment    

Rachel Sylvester

open quote mark Like Mr Incredible, Mr Brown has rediscovered his strength to heavy-lift some of Britain's biggest banks close quote mark

More...
Rachel Sylvester

Comment Central

British Prime Minister Gordon Brown walks out onto the steps of number 10 Downing Street

Brown's boom and bust: the truth

    Pictures of the Day

    Unusual ring-shaped smoke is formed when U.S. Air Forces A-10 Thunderbolt II attack aircraft was shooting imitation bombshells toward the ground during Air Power Day at the U.S. airbase in Osan

    A selection of the best images from around the world

    Slide Show

    Tate Modern

    Bunks beds and huge spider in new installation in the Turbine Hall

    Slide Show

    Endangered species

    Iberian Lynx

    The Red list reveals that a quarter of world's mammals are now at risk of extinction

    Slide Show

    Money Central

    Vince Cable

    Ten people who predicted the financial meltdown

      School Gate

      10 year old girls do their homework

      Why too much homework doesn't work

      Most Read

      Skip Most Read

      Today

      MOST COMMENTED

      Skip Editor's Pick

      Today

      MOST CURIOUS

      Skip Most Curious

      Today

      Focus Zone

      Purasia

      Asian Cuisine:

      Explore your passion for food with the delights of Thai, Indian & Chinese cooking

      A life more streamlined

      A Life More Streamlined:

      In our new series, Tony Hawks takes a dry, wry look at modern life - junk mail, interminable meetings and snooty sales assistants

      swimmer

      Triathlon Training:

      Read the training tips and advice that helped our London Triathletes

      Daniel Craig

      James Bond:

      Read our exclusive 100 Years of Fleming and Bond interactive timeline, packed with original Times articles and reviews

      ba business travel clouds

      Business Travel:

      The latest travel news plus the best hotels and gadgets for business travellers

      previous next
      Peter Sands...CEO...Standard Chartered.

      Andrew Davidson meets Peter Sands

      Services

      Croatia

      Croatia 8 days from £659

      Dubrovnik, the Dalmatian Coast and Montenegro

      Credit Crunched?

      Our Credit Clinic has free help and advice

      The Singapore skyline pictured at night

      Business City Guides

      Overseas contacts and local business information

      Popular Searches on Times Online

      best councils | books | chess | credit crunch | currency converter | fashion | football | formula 1 | london film festival | mortgages | pensions | podcasts | property | recipes | redundancy calculator | sudoku | wall street | wine

      Shortcuts to help you find sections and articles

      Classifieds 

      Cars

      Skip Cars of the Week

      BMW 635 Sport

      2008
      £44,990

      Jaguar XK 4.2 V8

      2008
      £48,489

      Car insurance

      Great car insurance deals online


      Jobs

      Skip Jobs of the Week
      CHIEF EXECUTIVE

      c.£75,000
      GlosFirstmeansbusiness
      Gloucestershire

      Collaboration Support Managers

      £32,795 - £41,545
      Universitry of Southampton
      Southampton

      Bid Managers

      £ £32,795 - £41,545
      Universitry of Southampton
      Southampton

      Demand Forecasting Managers

      Competitive Package
      Npower
      West Midlands

      Properties

      London Living

      Some of the finest Apts & Penthouses
      Across London

      Kingswood Chase

      Luxury properties within exclusive development in
      Chislehurst Kent

      Experience the Berkeley Difference

      A new experience in Luxury Living

      Holidays

      Skip Travel of the Week

      Las Vegas, Los Angeles & San Francisco

      Multi–Centre
      from Only £829pp

      Discover Captain Cook’s Hawaiian Islands

      With Ramblers Worldwide Holidays!
      £POA

      Advertise your holiday property online

      List your property with two leading travel websites
      £POA

      Travel insurance

      Great travel insurance deals online


      Place your advert now