Marine's body parts sent to America

A British war widow has discovered that parts of her husband's body are in America and Oxford, despite having held his funeral.

A British war widow has discovered that parts of her husband's body are in America and Oxford, despite having held his funeral.

Lianne Seymour had already received an apology from the Ministry of Defence after officials asked her to return part of her husband Ian's salary. The Royal Marine, 28, was killed when an American helicopter crashed in Kuwait in the first week of the war against Iraq.

Seymour, a Navy mechanic, was flown to RAF Brize Norton on 29 March and buried a week later at a funeral in Hamworthy, Dorset.

Ten bodies were repatriated but an 11th coffin was also brought back, containing body parts, family members were told. The news that some parts had only just been identified was given by military officials and the coroner's office in Oxford.

Mrs Seymour accused Geoff Hoon, the Defence Secretary, of having "no respect for servicemen". She was told that a "major limb" of her husband was in Oxford and other fragments were in America. She says she intends to hold a second funeral.

The MoD said: "Aircraft wreckage had to be returned to the US for investigation and given the catastrophic nature of the crash it has taken the coroner until recently to complete DNA testing."