Minister refuses to ground Nimrods

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In a "full and frank discussion", families of the 14 servicemen killed onboard a Nimrod plane in 2006 met minister Bob Ainsworth and the chief of air staff to discuss their rejection of a coroner's verdict to ground the squadron.

Families of Sergeant Benjamin James Knight, 25, Lance Corporal Oliver Simon Dicketts, 27, Flight Lieutenant Gareth Rodney Nicholas, 40, Sergeant John Joseph Langton, 29, and Flight Sergeant Gerard Martin Bell, 48, attended a meeting at the MoD in London to try and gain assurances that no more Nimrods will leave the ground until they are safe to fly.

The crew onboard the Nimrod were killed on September 2 2006 when their plane exploded just after refuelling midair above Kandahar in southern Afghanistan.

An inquest was conducted in May by Andrew Walker, Assistant Deputy Coroner for Oxford, and ruled that the Nimrod planes were all "unsafe to fly".

Robert Dicketts, father of Oliver Simon Dicketts, said: "Mr Ainsworth has been very transparent but he still refuses to ground the planes. We are still not satisfied that they are airworthy. After the death of our loved ones we want to ensure that the crew flying Nimrods at present are safe."

Ministers have stated that the planes will be investigated by resealing the fuel system, redefining couplings and stripping down the entire craft to check for faults.

The families also stated that they wanted confirmation that the "negligence" of the Armed Forces, which they say caused the explosion, will offer them some compensation.

Graham Knight, father of Ben Knight, said: "My son was an honourable man and died serving his Queen and country. This for me is a question of honour.

"The Government failed in their duty to ensure the safety of their citizens. As such, we are hoping that Article Two of the Human Rights Act will find them fully accountable."