The family of a Midland soldier who was killed by a mob in Iraq are set to take legal action against the Ministry of Defence, according to reports.
 Solihull-born Thomas Keys, 20, was one of six Royal Military Policemen who died when his unit came under attack in the town of Al Majar Al Kabir. His father Reg today said he had consulted a solicitor about the possibility of a negligence claim against the MoD. Other relatives are also understood to be considering launching a corporate manslaughter claim against the organisation. "I have made initial inquiries myself with a solicitor to see whether the Army are negligent in their duty of care and I am waiting for a response," said Mr Keys, from Knowle. The Red Caps, all serving with 156 Provost Company, were manning a small police station in Al Majar Al Kabir, 120 miles north of Basra, when they were attacked on June 24 last year. Mr Keys revealed today for the first time details of the chain of events that led to their deaths. He claimed it was a patrol by British paratroopers that resulted in the firefight which led to them being killed by a furious mob seeking "retribution". Mr Keys, who now lives in Bala, north Wales, said the paras were warned by local militia to cease their patrol in Al Majar Al Kabir or risk coming under fire. However, he claimed they continued and "whipped up the town into a hotbed of hatred". Mr Keys said a firefight then erupted with a large crowd of young men, but that the paras withdrew without realising the Red Caps were visiting a police station just 150 metres away. He said the RMPs, who had gone to the station to discuss its refurbishment, were left to face the fury of the Iraqi mob without adequate equipment or communications. He claimed they had been stripped of grenades and other munitions and had only 20 to 50 rounds of ammunition each. "They (the paras) were approached by the head of militia who advised them not to proceed with their patrol," he said. "He said if they continued they were likely to come under fire. "Their arrogance in proceeding resulted in a severe firefight with up to 100 Iraqis killed. They got themselves out of there. At that point they were only 150 metres away from the (police) station." Mr Keys continued: "They (the paras) should have called to the ops room, but they did not. They whipped up the town into a hotbed of hatred, got themselves out of there and our six lads caught the force of the mob's fury. "They were stranded at the station with inappropriate equipment. The lads had had no ammunition to defend themselves. They were just overwhelmed in a back room of the police station. "Nobody told them that the paras were under attack. They let the lads carry on - nobody contacted them. They went to the police station and after the paras got themselves out, the mob went to seek retribution against the RMPs." Mr Keys said he had been told around 40 or 50 armed police at the station fled the mob, fearing they would be shot as collaborators, leaving the Red Caps stranded on their own. He said that around an hour to an hour-and-a-half later the mob stormed the police station and killed the Red Caps. "My son's post-mortem report described 31 wounds," said Mr Keys, who said he believed the other five Red Caps also had similar numbers of gunshot wounds. "The first the British Army knew about it was when an Iraqi doctor approached them to say, 'You have six dead troops at the police station. "It is complete bungling from beginning to end. They should not have been there in the first place - the town was such a hotbed of hatred and these guys were just going to discuss refurbishment of the station. "That they (the Army) thought it necessary to send these six men into such a hostile area beggars belief. I feel the Army are really negligent in a duty of care towards these men." Mr Keys claimed the families of the six Red Caps had been told the details of the events at a briefing in January with officers from the Army's Special Investigation Branch, which is conducting an investigation into their deaths. He said they were told the account came from a local interpreter who was with the RMPs, who witnessed events. However, an MoD spokeswoman said: "It is an ongoing investigation and it is inappropriate to comment before the investigation has been concluded." * The soldiers who died were Sergeant Simon Alexander Hamilton-Jewell, from Chessington, Surrey; Corporal Russell Aston, 30, from Swadlincote, Derbyshire, who was married with one daughter; Corporal Paul Graham Long, 24, from Colchester, Essex; Corporal Simon Miller, 21, from Washington, Tyne & Wear, who was engaged to be married; Lance-Corporal Benjamin John McGowan Hyde, 23, from Northallerton, North Yorkshire; and Lance-Corporal Thomas Richard Keys. | 
