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Families to meet minister to call for aircraft to be grounded

The repatriation ceremony of the Nimrod crew killed in Afghanistan
The repatriation ceremony of the Nimrod crew killed in Afghanistan

Family members of the 14 servicemen killed in an RAF Nimrod crash will meet with the Armed Forces Minister today.

They will include Robert Dicketts, of Horsmonden, whose son Oliver was killed in the crash.

Also killed was Flt Sgt Gary Andrews from Tankerton.

The meeting with Bob Ainsworth comes seven weeks after the assistant deputy coroner for Oxford, Andrew Walker, called for the RAF’s entire Nimrod fleet to be grounded after a three-week inquest.

The hearing was told a fuel leak caused the aircraft to explode near Kanadhar on September 2, 2006.

Within minutes of the verdict being delivered a statement was issued by the MoD insisting the fleet was airworthy.

Mr Robert Dicketts, father of 27-year-old Lance Corporal Oliver Dicketts, who was killed in the explosion, called for the meeting on behalf of the victims' families. Andrew Tucker from law firm Irwin Mitchell said: “The families are calling for the government to confirm that the crucial recommendation made by deputy coroner for Oxford, Andrew Walker is actioned and that the fleet is grounded until airworthy to ensure an accident like this cannot happen again.”

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