FRIENDS and family of the victims of the Iraq Hercules crash have taken their battle to 10 Downing Street.

The group led by campaigner Sarah Chapman, the sister of Sgt Bob O'Connor who died in the crash in January 2005, and Richard and Pauline Stead, whose son, David, was captain of the aircraft, handed in a 3,000 signature petition to Number 10 yesterday afternoon.

The petition, signed by the families of the victims, serving and retired RAF personnel and MoD employees, calls on the Government to install fire-suppressant foam in all of the RAF's fleet of Hercules transport planes based at RAF Lyneham.

The families believe that had the foam been installed in the aircraft the crew might have had a better chance of surviving being shot at by Iraqi insurgents.

Ms Chapman said: "We are now looking for the Government to act on the level of support that has been demonstrated during our campaign.

"I am glad that we are able to deliver it to Downing Street to show the level of support especially seeing as all my letters have seemingly been ignored.

"I find it amazing that the MoD says it is urgently investigating the installation of the foam on the Hercules fleet but even now, 21 months after a crash, only one aircraft has been modified and that's not even back in service yet, although I understand it will be ready next week.

"I think we have been through all the emotions in recent months.

" I am just driven by the determination to get this sorted out and I won't give up until every Hercules aircraft has this equipment."

A board of inquiry found that Hercules XV179 was shot down by Iraqi insurgents.

They hit one of the wings of the aircraft, which lost control and plunged into the Iraq desert north of Baghdad.

The inquiry also said that the foam being campaigned for would not have necessarily safeguarded the transport plane.

The Lyneham crew members killed in the crash were Flt Lt David Stead, 35, Flt Lt Andrew Smith, 25, Flt Lt Paul Pardoel, 35, Chief Technician Richard Brown, 40, Sgt Robert O'Connor, 38, and Cpl David Williams, 37.

Two of the dead came from Swindon - Master Engineer Gary Nicholson, 42, of Stratton, and Flight Sergeant Mark Gibson, 34, of Sparcells.

The ninth RAF man on board, Sqn Ldr Patrick Marshall, 39, was from Strike Command Headquarters, at RAF High Wycombe. Acting L/Cpl Steven Jones, 25, was a soldier serving with the Royal Signals and a passenger on the Hercules.

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