Widow's plea to Blair

Ian and Jennifer Rimell were married for more than 20 years

The widow of a civilian bomb disposal expert shot dead in Iraq is asking the prime minister about how her husband came to be killed.

Jennifer Rimell's husband, Ian, was clearing mines when his vehicle was ambushed in the north of the country.

In her first media interview since his death on 4 September, Mrs Rimell, who is from Kidderminster, said the father-of-three had assured her he was safe from danger.

She told the BBC's Midlands Today programme that she last spoke to him the day before his death.

"I would say to him 'Is it safe there?' - they would be my first words.

"He would say: 'We're out in the middle of nowhere, there's nobody out here. All the trouble's down in Baghdad and down the south. There's nothing up here.'"

Ian Rimell had more than 20 years' experience clearing mines

But Mr Rimell, who was working for the Mines Advisory Group charity, was killed in a gun attack near Mosul in which his bodyguard was also injured.

His funeral took place on Friday.

Mrs Rimell said she was angry that Prime Minister Tony Blair had not agreed to provide more protection for aid workers when he was pressed in the Commons after her husband's death.

"He was asked a question: 'Don't you think these people need some kind of security?'

"He seemed to go completely around that question, not giving a correct answer."

Mrs Rimell said she is now writing to Mr Blair as it is important for her family to find out exactly how her husband died.