Friendly fire pilot back in Iraq

L/Cpl Matty Hull died four years ago in the attack in Basra

A US pilot involved in the friendly fire killing of a UK soldier is returning to fight in Iraq next month, it has emerged.

Lance Corporal of Horse Matty Hull, 25, of Windsor, Berkshire, died when his Scimitar tank came under fire from a US A-10 "Tank Buster" plane in March 2003.

One of two pilots involved in the incident is now being deployed in Iraq as part of the Idaho Air Guard.

A spokesman said he was deployed due to his "extensive combat experience".

'Unlawfully killed'

Air Guard spokesman 1st Lt Tony Vincelli said the pilot's squadron would focus on providing close air support for ground troops, but for security reasons the exact location of the deployment would not be made public.

The other pilot involved in the "blue on blue" attack on British scimitar armoured vehicles near Basra has since retired.

At an inquest earlier this year, Oxfordshire Assistant Deputy Coroner Andrew Walker concluded L/Cp Hull was unlawfully killed.

He told Oxford Coroners' Court L/Cp Hull's death had been "an entirely avoidable tragedy" and that the US fighter pilots' attack on the British convoy of four vehicles near Basra "amounted to an assault" and was criminal.

The US military has not released the names of the A-10 pilots, who were cleared of wrongdoing by the military.