Soldier slates army 4x4 at inquest

Published on Tuesday 2 March 2010 21:25

THE sole survivor of a devastating explosion – which claimed the British Army's first female fatality in Afghanistan – told an inquest yesterday the vehicle he and his comrades were travelling in was "not adequate for the job".

The special forces soldier, who cannot be named for security reasons, fought back tears as he recounted Corporal Sarah Bryant's final moments.

The Cumbrian-born soldier, of the Intelligence Corps – described by her family as their own Angel of the North – was killed while taking part in an operation east of Lashkar Gah when her Snatch Land Rover was hit by a mine on 17 June, 2008.

She died with three Territorial Army special forces soldiers, Corporal Sean Robert Reeve, 28, of the Royal Signals, and Lance Corporal Richard Larkin, 39, and Trooper Paul Stout, 31.

They were with a fifth soldier, known as Soldier E, who was sitting in the passenger seat.

Yesterday, he told the inquest at Wiltshire Coroner's Court he thought the Snatch Land Rover was not up to the job.

"There was a lot of worry that these weren't the right vehicle in our opinion for the job in hand," he said.

Soldier E said he voiced his concerns up the usual chain of command – and he said those in his command voiced concerns to him.

The inquest resumes today.