Family of army sergeant seek compensation after fatal Nimrod accident

The families of two of the servicemen killed when a Nimrod aircraft they were on exploded over Afghanistan are suing the Ministry of Defence (MoD) for damages, it has been revealed.

In a high court writ, they accuse the ministry of negligence, saying it did not minimise risk to its employees' health and breached the crew members' right to life.

The accident, which occurred in September 2006, saw a total of 14 servicemen lose their lives as the aircraft was engaged in an air-to-air refuelling exercise.

Speaking to the Times, Graham Knight, the father of Sergeant Knight, commented: "My son and 13 others were killed and not one person has been held accountable for it. The government has said [it is] very sorry, but sometimes sorry isn't enough."

Meanwhile, a spokesperson for the MoD - which has existed in its present form since 1971 - said that, following an inquiry in December last year, the ministry has been clear it will pay compensation to the families affected by the Nimrod incident.

04/09/2008 15:33