Families of dead soldiers angry at Government compensation plan

The families of young soldiers killed in Iraq have criticised "disgusting" new plans to prevent them suing the Government for compensation.

Lance Corporal Kirk Redpath's father Colin fought for five years to win the right to take legal action against the Ministry of Defence over the death of his son.

Under the proposed new scheme such challenges will be impossible and personnel will no longer be able to sue the MoD for negligence.

Compensation would instead be awarded by an MoD-appointed assessor.

Lance Corporal Redpath, aged 22, from Romford in Essex, died when a bomb exploded next to his poorly armoured Snatch Land Rover in Iraq in August 2007.

Following the announcement of the new compensation proposal, Mr Redpath said servicemen must be given the right equipment.

"If not, then what the MoD are saying is that we could send our boys and girls out with broomsticks. It wouldn't matter. There's no comeback," he said.

Lance Corporal Redpath was one of 37 service personnel killed in the lightly armoured vehicles in Afghanistan and Iraq, according to reports.

Soldier Daniel Coffey, 21, was also killed in Iraq, when his armoured vehicle came under fire in February 2007.

His grandfather David Godfrey, from Cullompton in Devon, said: "I think it's absolutely disgusting, because the MoD, I believe, are shirking their responsibilities to our forces.

"They've lost the respect of our forces, they've lost the respect of families, they've lost the respect of the public."

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Defence Secretary Sir Michael Fallon defended the planned changes, saying they would "remove the stress of lengthy legal action" and ensure more money for compensation.

"Our armed forces put their lives on the line to keep us safe," he said.

"This new scheme will mean more generous payments to anyone injured - or the families of those who are killed - in combat."

An MoD spokesman said: "This is about better compensation and, regardless of legal action, we already prioritise learning lessons from any incidents involving the safety of our personnel.

Law Society president Robert Bourns said: "The Ministry of Defence wants to make it impossible for soldiers and their families to bring claims against it to court when these relate to actions in combat.

"Soldiers and their families must not be shut out of our justice system."

Last year's Chilcot Inquiry found a string of MoD failings in the preparation for the Iraq War, including a delay in replacing Snatch Land Rovers, which are vulnerable to bombs.