Nimrod deaths 'caused by cost cutting'

Wed Oct 28 2009 18:07:37

The Ministry of Defence has been accused of sacrificing safety in order to cut costs in a damning report into the crash of a Nimrod plane which left 14 crew dead.

The spy plane exploded in mid-air in Afghanistan in 2006, causing the biggest single loss of life for UK forces since the Falklands War.

In his review, Charles Haddon-Cave QC has said the tragedy occurred because of a "systemic breach" of the military covenant.

He said financial cuts within the MoD in the wake of the 1998 strategic defence review had led to "a dilution of the airworthiness regime".

He also described a safety review of the ageing aircraft as a "lamentable job" which failed to identify "key dangers".

The military covenant is an agreement between the nation, the Army and soldiers that military personnel will be given fair treatment in return for risking their lives.

Meanwhile, the mother of one of the 14 personnel killed in the air crash has called for resignations "from the very top".

Trish Knight, whose son Ben died in the disaster, said the Ministry of Defence's conduct had been "disgraceful".

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