Grief mixed with a sense of betrayal

The family of Shaun Brierley are typical of those who feel betrayed by the actions of Tony Blair in taking the country to war on what they now believe were lies.

Lance Corporal Brierley of the Royal Signals was killed in a road accident in Kuwait in March 2003, when his Land Rover crashed. He left a threeyearold son Patrick and his girlfriend Brigit Reisenbeck.

The soldier's father, Peter, a CCTV operator from Batley, West Yorkshire, has joined the families of other soldiers killed in the war in calling for Mr Blair to resign. He said today: "I can't see that Tony Blair has any choice but to stand down, as he is damaging his party now. It seems to me that between 7 and 17 [March], there were a lot of changes to what [the Attorney General] was actually saying."

Mr Brierley had initially been committed to the war which claimed his son's life. Immediately after he died, he said: "Saddam Hussein needs getting rid of so we don't have to go back in another 10 years.

"I don't want Shaun's son to have to go out there in the future and suffer the same fate as his dad."

But only eight months later, on the eve of President George Bush's controversial visit to London, Lance Corporal Brierley's mother Christine expressed her fury at the war, saying: "I thing it's disgusting the way Bush is carrying on. It's a war that should never have been fought: then dragging England into it when it wasn't our war anyway.

"I just wish all the troops were back home - American and English.

"At the end of the day, what's going to be resolved?"