Call for inquiry into alleged beating of Iraqis

Claims that British soldiers systematically beat and killed Iraqis must be open to scrutiny in a public inquiry, the High Court was told.

It was not enough to say there were "rotten apples and then keep the lid very firmly on the barrel", said Michael Fordham QC as he opened a case on behalf of 135 Iraqi civilians.

Lawyers for the Defence Secretary said Philip Hammond would consider a "broad-ranging public inquiry". But the Ministry of Defence said that a public inquiry would be "premature and disproportionate".