Tributes and tears as Britain mourns its first victims

Tears, prayers and flowers marked the first British casualties in the war against Iraq when residents of Plymouth paid tribute to the eight servicemen from 3 Commando Brigade Royal Marines killed in the Sea Knight helicopter crash in Kuwait.

Scores of local people, proud of their long association with the Royal Marines, laid bouquets at the gates of the city's Stonehouse barracks, which is home to the brigade.

"This is a tragic loss of life to the Royal Marines out there, especially as it was not in combat but an accident," said Royal Marine Corporal Andrew Lister, who was with the detachment in Kuwait until a few weeks ago.

The 25-year-old marine and his girlfriend, Sarah Kendrick, also 25, paid tribute to his fallen comrades as he laid flowers at the gate of their barracks.

"I don't know yet who has died but the Royal Marine Corps is a small family and I am bound to know some of them," he said. "You expect casualties at some point if you are going into conflict. This is what we are trained to do."

Yesterday a service of prayers was held at St Andrew's church, Plymouth, dedicated to troops in the Gulf and their relatives. The Rev Nick McKinnell, the rector, said: "We have seven weddings planned for this year where the prospective groom is now out in the Gulf. I think cities like this one are particularly sensitive and feeling vulnerable."

Ever since Winston Churchill called in 1940 for a regiment of specially trained soldiers "of the hunter class" to make daring raids along the enemy-occupied coasts of Europe, Plymouth and the South-west have had a strong bond with the marines.

Trained to perform in a range of environments from the Arctic to deserts, Britain's Royal Marine Commandos are among the most elite troops in the world. Their amphibious rapid reaction force helped recapture the Falklands in 1982.

Tony Blair led tributes to the dead. The Prime Minister said: "These were brave men who in order to make us safer and more secure knew the risks, faced the risks and had the courage to serve their country and the wider world. We owe them an immense debt."

In the margins of a European Union summit, six other EU leaders approached Mr Blair to pass on their condolences. A fresh diplomatic row loomed after Downing Street listed the six as the leaders of Germany, the Irish Republic, Spain, Italy, the Netherlands and Denmark. No 10's move was seen as a direct criticism of Paris. However, Mr Blair disclosed later that President Jacques Chirac had written him a personal note expressing his condolences.

In the House of Commons Glenda Jackson angered fellow MPs and the Government when she said the marines had died "needlessly" in the crash. The Labour MP became the first politician to break ranks over the accident when she spoke during an emergency statement by Geoff Hoon, the Defence Secretary.

She said: "I would like to add my comments to the sympathies that have already been expressed to the families of those brave young men whose lives have been tragically, and in my view somewhat needlessly, lost."

The Defence Secretary said: "I strongly resist the suggestion that these lives were needlessly lost."