Prime Minister Gordon Brown today paid tribute to British servicemen who have died in Afghanistan, as the remains of six fallen troops were due to be repatriated through Wootton Bassett.

Mr Brown was speaking as controversy raged over his letter of condolence to the mother of a soldier killed in Afghanistan, which she described as "disrespectful" because the PM spelt her son's name wrongly.

The Sun today published a transcript of a phone call in which Mr Brown apologised to Jacqui Janes for any mistakes in the letter, and was told that she believed her son Jamie would not have bled to death if more helicopters had been available to troops.

Mrs Janes told the PM: "I know every injury my child sustained that day. I know that my son could have survived but my son bled to death.

"How would you like it if one of your children, God forbid, went to a war doing something that he thought, where he was helping protect his Queen and country and because of lack, lack of helicopters, lack of equipment, your child bled to death and then you had the coroner have to tell you his every injury?"

In his regular monthly press conference at 10 Downing Street, coming a day before Armistice Day, Mr Brown said it was "a time to reflect on the courage and sacrifice of our Armed Forces who in Afghanistan have laid down their lives to ensure our safety and security in Britain".

Mr Brown was speaking shortly before the arrival at RAF Lyneham of the remains of six British troops killed in recent days, including five who were shot dead by a "rogue" Afghan policeman who they were training.

He said: "Again today, the fallen will return home in solemn ceremony and again I pay tribute to them and to the friends and families who will honour their return.

"Each life lost is an irreplaceable loss from a family. It reminds us of the stark human cost of armed conflict in the service of our society."

Wootton Bassett will come to a standstill this afternoon as the returning troops pass through the town.